Bužim Council President: I apologize to everyone, we don't want to send this kind of message

(Patria) - After a poster in Bužim with a Christmas and New Year's greeting was removed, a press conference was held in that town. Suvad Šahinović, President of the Bužim Municipal Council (SDP), stated that the greeting was not a provocation, and that the municipality of Bužim is not what was sent last night and what many media outlets reported.

“The municipality of Bužim is certainly a compassionate municipality. For this reason, I called a press conference and publicly stated that the mayor does not have my support in the Municipal Council. It would be a moral act for him to resign as mayor. We are a country where we must live together and send messages of peace. Instead of sending them, we are sending messages that further stir up the situation. We are deepening the crisis even more, and that nationalism flares up,” he stated.

He emphasized that a bad message was sent to all citizens of Bužim.

“Three days ago, we were in Slovenia, where we asked them to open a production facility in Bužim. What kind of message is this to them? Who will come to open a facility, to employ the youth here, and to prevent them from leaving the country?” Šahinović asked.

The SDP supported the mayor, he added, but as of today, they do not support him, and the mayor does not have a parliamentary majority.

According to the last census, 19,000 Bosniaks live in Bužim, but Šahinović said that even if there wasn't a single Croat or Serb, it would still be a bad message.

“We must send messages of coexistence and peace, both for Bužim and for BiH. This is not Bužim, and I condemn this act. And I apologize to everyone, because we do not want to send such messages. I spoke with the mayor and asked him – is he aware of what he published. He said he was ready for the consequences. I told him that he does not have our support, and this is not BiH,” he emphasized.

Finally, he stated that there will likely be changes in the municipal majority, and that as far as the SDP is concerned, they will demand the mayor's resignation.

Let us remind you, “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,” with these words, the Prime Minister of Una-Sana Canton, Mustafa Ružnić, and the President of the Assembly, Rasim Halkić, congratulated Christmas on a billboard in Bužim. Sharp reactions followed, and the poster was removed very quickly.