Izetbegović: If SDA Wishes, I Will Be a Candidate for the BiH Presidency; the Troika Will Gather Again Around Bećirović

(Patria) - SDA President Bakir Izetbegović confirmed for BHRT that he does not shy away from being a candidate for the BiH Presidency in the upcoming elections. He also revealed that he does not shy away from a coalition with all parties, even with the SNSD.

Appearing on today's BHT1 Uživo show, Izetbegović recalled that he was a member of the BiH Presidency twice and could be again if his party grants him confidence.

- But I don't have, as our people would say, the urge, I'm not particularly eager and willing at any cost to return, but I also don't shy away from it. However, there is risk involved, the campaign and everything else, and it's difficult to be the first man in the pro-Bosnian bloc and the Bosniak corps.

Let the SDA decide what is best, with me, with what they have and know, or with a new face, new energy and some new ideas, and I remain with the SDA until the end - Izetbegović emphasized.

He believes that Denis Bećirović is the only person who should be his opponent for the BiH Presidency from the Bosniak people.

- Perhaps someone else ambitious will join, but I think the Troika will gather again around Bećirović, and the SDA should not allow 11 rivals. At that time, I had 11 domestic actors and four international ones, for reasons unknown to me.

In fact, it was an attempt - we can't have Dodik, we don't want Čović - we love him, let's remove the Bosniak. I think it was a game, to try to create a new constellation, some players from the pro-Bosnian bloc who might relax Dodik and Čović.

But they didn't relax them, they only encouraged them, as if they poured oil on the fire. But this time, I think there won't be such a unification against the SDA candidate. And the SDA should also try to form a coalition - added Izetbegović.

Speaking about coalitions with other parties, he emphasized that the SDP BiH is the second party after the SDA, and that they are a fact, and should not be ignored.

- They represent the left-wing sector, and whether we will enter a coalition with them - I don't know, we won't reject anyone. We prefer parties like the DF, SBiH, and for a time it was the NES.

I insisted on the "four-party coalition" but I received a strange answer from Komšić that there is no "four-party coalition." It surprised me a bit. I would like such parties that opposed these policies - Izetbegović stated.

He notes that the SDA does not reject any parties, except those that attack BiH.

- We don't even reject the SNSD as a party, but we reject Dodik. The SNSD without Dodik will be a different party, it will resemble more the SNSD from 20 years ago. Of course, we prefer the SDS and PDP, we have experience with them - Izetbegović said.