Osmanović: Tihić will be remembered as a quiet but very persistent politician

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - In Bosanski Šamac today, the anniversary of the death of the second president of SDA, Sulejman Tihić, was marked by laying flowers, reciting prayers and tevhid in the Azizija mosque, SDA announced.

Adil Osmanović, leading the SDA delegation that attended the commemoration, emphasized that Tihić was liked by friends and colleagues as a politician, and respected and valued by the leaders of other political parties in BiH. 

“Sulejman Tihić will be remembered by the public as a calm and quiet, but very persistent politician who set the SDA policy in a few words: step by step but always forward. His state and political engagement as a member of the Presidency of BiH should be particularly highlighted, because during that period our country gained significant institutions and the most important reforms were implemented from the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement to the present day. Such a policy irrevocably directed BiH towards the European Union and NATO. Unfortunately, the reform processes that BiH so desperately needs were halted by the rejection of the constitutional reforms, known today as the ‘April package’. Had those constitutional reforms been adopted then, our country would be much closer to the EU and NATO today. Here, in this beautiful Bosnian town of Bosanski Šamac, I want to highlight another
special virtue and far-reaching political vision of Sulejman Tihić. Among many other jobs, obligations and activities he was involved in, he never allowed the return of us Bosniaks and Croats to these areas to not be at the very top of SDA's policy priorities. With his amendments to the Constitution of this entity, as well as his active participation in the adoption of many quality laws, he worked on improving the position of the Bosniak and Croat people in this entity. Finally, his strongest message was that even after his death, his grave should be here in Bosanski Šamac. With this, he sent the strongest message to us who were expelled from these areas that we should never give up,” said Osmanović.

Sulejman Tihić was elected president of SDA at the Congress held in 2001.

During his political career, he held several positions in the executive and legislative authorities, and in 2002 he was elected a member of the Presidency of BiH. After a long and serious illness, he passed away in Sarajevo on September 25, 2014, and was buried on September 27 in his native Bosanski Šamac.