Republicans of Bosnia and Herzegovina founded in Sarajevo

(Patria) - The founding assembly of the political organization "Republicans BiH" was held on February 20 at the Bosnian Cultural Center in Sarajevo, where the Statute and Programmatic Goals of the organization were adopted, which were previously harmonized with the valid Law on the Establishment of Political Organizations and made available for public reading.

The founders and assembly delegates unanimously elected Mr. Stjepan Kljuić, former member of the Presidency of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and former president of the Olympic Committee of BiH, as the chairman of the Assembly. Mr. Kljuić will also serve as the honorary president of the Senate of Republicans, contributing to the internal and foreign policy profiling of the organization with his knowledge, international reputation, and rich experience.

“When we were considering a proposal for an adequate name, we chose the name POLITICAL ORGANIZATION REPUBLICANS OF BIH to remind of the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which states: 'The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose official name is henceforth "Bosnia and Herzegovina", continues its legal existence under international law as a state'.

Appointed to the Assembly leadership and Senate were: Doc. dr. Ljubica Todorović, neuropsychiatrist and permanent court expert from Sarajevo, attorney Faruk Balijagić from Tuzla, a rule of law expert, Alija Tandirović, an expert in technical sciences and head of a state inspectorate in Sweden. The Senate, guided by the principles of solidarity, social responsibility, competence, impartiality, independence, and reliability, unanimously proposed Dr. sc. Edin Garaplija, a respected security expert, as the first president of the political organization "Republicans BiH", after which the Assembly unanimously confirmed his appointment.

Dr. Garaplija emphasized in his address that the work of the REPUBLICANS will be based on ten programmatic goals plus ten priority areas for the period 2026–2030, including strengthening the rule of law, full European integration, protection of human rights, economic and social stability, development of smart cities and smart specialization with a focus on youth.

In addition to Dr. Garaplija, the following were elected as members of the Presidency of the Republicans: Josip Knežević, journalist and producer, Bojan Kostić, electrical engineer and founder of a football academy, Maja Ličanin Redžep, MBA business administration manager, Mirza Hodžić, IT entrepreneur. Upon the proposal of the president and the Senate, Muhamed Duraković, a young IT engineer, was also appointed to establish the Forum of Young Republicans.

"Republicans BiH" starts from the position that citizens do not need a new government, but an improved and efficient public service in the service of a more functional, just, and secure society. The organization's program, goals, and priorities were unanimously adopted after public reading and represent a framework for a modern Bosnia and Herzegovina – a state of all its citizens, with guaranteed freedoms, justice, and equality.