SDA failed to secure key state ministries

 

Former Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH and one of the founders of SDA, who has extensive political experience in executive government, Edhem Bičakčić is not satisfied with the ministerial positions that Bosniaks received during the distribution of executive power at the state level. For him, the tactical maneuvering in selecting ministries employed by the Deputy President of SDA, Bakir Izetbegović, is not acceptable and is detrimental both to the party that won the elections and to the most numerous people, writes the news agency Patria.

-The state prime minister comes from the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), says Bičakčić in an interview with Patria, and that can to some extent be a satisfaction for Bosniaks, but it cannot be viewed as a concession to this people.

Because under the rotation system, the position of Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BiH was certainly due to the Bosniaks, after in the previous term this function was held by Vjekoslav Bevanda from the Croat ranks, and the term before him, the position of state prime minister was held by Nikola Špirić from the Serb ranks, explains our interlocutor.  

It is not good, Bičakčić believes, that Bosniaks missed out on some of the key state ministries, primarily the Ministry of Foreign Trade or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

-SDA is content with the position of prime minister. Okay, that is an important and representative position, but the choice of ministries is below any criticism – criticized Bičakčić.

He added that it is absurd that in the Ministry of Foreign Trade, as one of the more significant ministries in the state, Bosniaks did not get at least a deputy minister. The same situation is with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

-The Ministry of Civil Affairs, which will be managed by Bosniaks for the next four years, is significant, Bičakčić believes, but he interprets it in the sense that "the book has been reduced to a single letter".

He said he expected that in the combination of SDA and DF the strategy would be more purposeful. However, that did not happen.

Who got what in the distribution

During the distribution of state ministries, HDZ BiH received three ministries: Defense, Justice, and Finance and Treasury. Also, cadres from this party will fill four deputy positions in the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Security, and Transport and Communications.

The Alliance for Change also received three ministries: Foreign Affairs, Security, and Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, and three deputy positions in the ministries of Civil Affairs, Defense, and Human Rights and Refugees. 

In addition to the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, SDA will have two ministers, for Civil Affairs and for Human Rights and Refugees, and two deputy positions in the ministries of Justice and Finance and Treasury. 

The Democratic Front received the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the position of Deputy Minister of Defense.