"Pro-European Bloc" presented in Banja Luka

BANJA LUKA, (Patria) - Nezavisni blok (NB), Socijaldemokratska partija BiH (SDP), Demokratska fronta (DF), Naša stranka, Hrvatska stranka BiH, Narodna stranka “Radom za boljitak”, Savez za bolju budućnost (SBB) and Brčanski demokratski pokret today in Banja Luka formally announced an agreement on forming the Pro-European Bloc of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

These eight political parties agreed on a coalition for a joint appearance in the elections in the entity of Republika Srpska, and support for candidates for the President of RS from the Bosniak and Croat peoples: Sadik Ahmetović from the Independent Bloc and Joza Barišić from the Croatian Party of BiH, confirmed Enes Suljkanović from the SDP on behalf of the Pro-European Bloc of BiH.

Sadik Ahmetović formalized his candidacy for the President of RS and emphasized that, if elected, he will pursue a policy of protecting the national interests of all constituent peoples, not just the Bosniak one, on whose support he currently counts. However, he also counts on the support of other citizens of RS who want a European future for BiH.

- First of all, among other Bosniak candidates, I have the greatest political experience. I have been in politics since 1990 and was the youngest councilor in the Srebrenica Municipal Assembly. Also, from 2002 to 2006, I was a deputy in the National Assembly of RS. Then a deputy in the State Parliament, where I am now, and Minister of Security of BiH. Thanks to all this, I have gained many useful contacts from Brussels to Berlin, which I can use to ensure betterment for all citizens of this BiH entity based on European values. On that basis, I would like to openly discuss all open issues, Ahmetović emphasized.

He pointed out that one of the main issues he will raise will be the issue of the use of the Bosnian language, which has remained unresolved so far, because there is no political readiness to address it.

- This issue simply must enter the institutions of Republika Srpska, so we can negotiate about it. I will not pursue only local-patriotic politics because I am best known as a representative of Srebrenica and Podrinje, but a policy of equality and dialogue for all citizens of this BiH entity, emphasized Sadik Ahmetović.

According to the latest results of the general elections from 2014, the Pro-European Coalition has 33,000 votes, with a growth trend this year.