Nikšić on Mostar: We expected public pressure and common sense to prevail

(Patria) - HDZ and SDA together have a 2/3 majority in the Mostar City Council with 24 councilors and it is clear that they can make decisions on their own, said Nermin Nikšić, president of SDP, the day after the mayoral elections in Mostar.

"Therefore, I call on them to announce the coalition as soon as possible, which they have already established at all higher levels, and to start working for the interests of the citizens of Mostar. After the president of the SDA City Organization accepted and then promptly returned the mandate in the Federal Parliament, it could be sensed that his plan was to take over the position of the City Council president after the mayor is from HDZ.

In the end, after haggling, warnings, debates, and accusations, we have an outcome that everyone following the political scene has predicted. The mayor is from HDZ, and the president of the City Council is from SDA. We expect both leaders of Mostar to be representatives of Mostar, not narrow interest groups or ethnic politics. We did not interfere in their relationship to prevent the mayor from being from HDZ or to enable the mayor to be from SDA. Our desire was to try to elect a female mayor, and when it became clear that was not possible, then a mayor who would ensure that changes and integration processes in Mostar are initiated.

After it became clear that neither of the two majority groups had the desire to support our program and goals, we did everything to preserve and promote the multi-ethnicity of Mostar with the idea of rotating the mayor. The group that accepted our concept, the Coalition for Mostar, cooperated with us on this basis," says Nikšić.

He pointed out that HDZ rejected their proposal at the very beginning, as they were convinced of their candidate's victory and that the outcome of today's vote would be as it is.

"Nothing would have changed even if the ratio was 17-17, because Kordić would have been elected as the younger candidate. The SDP stuck to the agreement until the end, first because we stated that depending on how they declared themselves regarding the agreement, we would also treat the candidates for mayor. And second, to show that we were right when we left the City Council session last time in protest that we did not have another round of talks before the first round of voting to try to ensure that there would be no winners or losers, and especially no one gloating, as we are witnessing. For the reasons stated, we supported the candidacy of Zlatko Guzin, because the Coalition for Mostar showed at least that minimum willingness to advocate for the Mostar we advocate for - a Mostar of equal citizens.

It is clear that we have doubts about the motives of individuals from that bloc who have already shown that their goal is not the mayoral position, but we expected public pressure and common sense to prevail. The elections are over, the new mayor of Mostar is Mario Kordić from HDZ, and the president of the City Council is Salem Marić from SDA. Some would say, according to plan. I expect the elected mayor to tackle the accumulated problems as soon as possible. We will be an opposition that will fight for transparency in the work of the city administration, for an audit of the spending of budget funds in the previous period, for solving problems, but also support everything that is in the interest of the citizens of Mostar," said Nikšić.