Tanović: I want to prove that not only bad doctors go into politics

(Patria) - Doctor Hasan Tanović, the "four" candidate for the mayor of Novo Sarajevo municipality and an independent candidate in the upcoming local elections, said that 18 percent of eligible voters in the previous elections voted for Nedžad Koldžo, while all others wanted change. He emphasized that he was not initially interested in running again, but recognized the efforts of the "four" (SDP, Our Party, People and Justice, NBL) to represent the ideas he had four years ago. He also stated that he wants to show that not only bad doctors go into politics.

Tanović said in his introduction that when he was a candidate for the same position (DF) in 2016, he emphasized that the left should have a single candidate. That idea was not understood - and he doesn't know the reason why, he said.

"I have no problem saying that I was a DF candidate, that I was in the party from the beginning. That was the story in 2014 that meant saving the social democratic idea, which was falling with the changes happening in the SDP. I recognized that I could identify with that story. I was first a candidate for the state parliament, then for mayor in 2016. It was important to me that we come out with a joint candidate for mayor. Our Party, SDP and DF to fight, but to conduct a poll, and then the other two candidates to give up the position. The idea was not understood, I don't know the reason. Party leaders sometimes want to test their muscles, to see how they are positioned," Tanović told N1.

"It turned out in the end that with the votes of those three candidates, we had as many votes as Koldžo. We would have had a mayor in Novo Sarajevo. When expressed in percentages, 38 percent of all eligible voters went to the polls, just over 12,000 voted for the current mayor, and 13,000 for us. Our votes were what the citizens of Novo Sarajevo wanted, that was my motivation for running again," he said.

The four parties running together in the elections have slight disagreements, he pointed out, and they are aware of that.

"But they managed to find the least common denominator. It can also be against SDA, but it is an attempt to create a society for the individual. Everything we recognized in the government of the six - which was the most popular government of all, which was overthrown for certain political reasons. I was not interested at first, given my job, but I recognized in what they are doing now my efforts from four years ago," Tanović said in Dan uživo on N1.

In the coalition that nominated him for mayor of Novo Sarajevo, there are people who emerged from SDA, but Tanović says that is the case with all parties.

"But a large number of people in SDA emerged from the idea of social democracy. They somehow changed their ideas, ideologies. That's not the point, and in SDA, I'm sure, there are honest and hardworking people. But what comes as input is not what the majority of voters want, I am sure," he stated.

"All those who want to work honestly, to return the institutions of power and the municipality to the citizens are on our side," added Tanović.

He said he has a good chance of taking over the position from Nedžad Koldžo, who has been in that role for a third term.

"The chances are good. Statistics show that 18 percent of eligible voters voted for Koldžo, meaning all others do not think like him. It is provable that these three parties, and now with NiP, have a majority that will show that they will change the mayor of Novo Sarajevo," said Doctor Tanović.

Problems in the municipality are visible at every step and from conversations with people. Lack of transparency, inaccessibility of infrastructure, waiting a long time for the simplest piece of paper - are things he highlighted as the biggest problems.

"The opinion is that we need to bring the municipality closer to the citizens. Koldžo did not do that. He acted authoritatively, he controlled the Municipal Council, there were also manipulations with councilors. We will implement changes to prevent the cronyism and crime that we see at every corner," he stated in a conversation with Emela Burdžović Slipičević.

If elected mayor, Hasan Tanović will resign from the General Hospital Prim. dr. Abdulah Nakaš in Sarajevo, because, as he said, the mayor's job requires full-time work and overtime.

"I will always be a doctor, I will be able to perform duties through supplementary activities. I don't think I'm a bad doctor. I want to show that not only bad doctors go into politics," he stated, adding that the principle by which he built his career as a good doctor - he will apply to the job of mayor, if he is elected, of course.

"The way you approach a patient - that's how you approach the municipality. What I can promise is that I am uncompromising in some things. Nothing will be able to influence me to act in a way that I think is not right," he emphasized.

Tanović also commented on the relations between the General Hospital and the University Clinical Center in Sarajevo, saying that the bickering is felt at every step. Citizens notice it too.

"Everyone is tired of passing the buck. My stance has been known for a long time, there's no point in repeating it. It's important, and it's also visible, that the work of the General Hospital has led to them also starting to fill their capacities. The results of the General Hospital are visible," he said.

He concluded that the most important thing in the whole story is that the patients are better.