SDA President Sulejman Tihić Dies

The President of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), Sulejman Tihić, passed away in the evening hours at the University Clinical Center Sarajevo (UKCS) after his health condition worsened today, reports the Patria News Agency. Tihić passed away tonight at the age of 63 in Sarajevo.

- During today, the general health of the patient, Mr. Sulejman Tihić, deteriorated, and despite intensive care and resuscitation, Mr. Tihić passed away at 7:20 PM - said Azra Dedajić, head of the Public Relations Service of UKCS, on behalf of the extraordinary session of the consulting team.

Although he was stable this morning, his condition worsened during the day. We remind you that Tihić has been battling a serious illness for years, and after surgery in Germany, his condition was considered better and more stable.

Almost three months ago, Tihić was urgently admitted to UKCS where he was hospitalized. After being released for home treatment, he was readmitted for treatment on August 22, reports Patria.

Sulejman Tihić, president of SDA, died tonight at UKCS after a long and difficult illness. Tihić was born in Bosanski Šamac on November 26, 1951.

He graduated from the Faculty of Law in Sarajevo. From 1975 to 1983, he was a judge and public prosecutor, and then a lawyer until 1992.

He has been a member of SDA since its founding in 1990, president of the Municipal Board in Bosanski Šamac, and a member of the Main Board. From May to August 1992, he was a prisoner in Serbian concentration camps in Bosanski Šamac, Brčko, Bijeljina, Batajnica, and Sremska Mitrovica.

From 1994 to 1996, he was the head of the Consular Department of the Embassy of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Germany. From 1996 to 1999, he was a minister-advisor in the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

From 1996 to 2000, he was a representative in the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, and from 2000 to 2002, he was the vice-president of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska. By the decision of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, he was appointed a member of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska Commission for Constitutional Issues.

At the third congress of SDA, held in October 2001, he was elected president of SDA. In May 2005, he was also elected president for the mandate period 2005- 2009, and in May 2009, he was elected president for the mandate period 2009- 2013.

In the general elections in BiH, held in 2002, he was elected a member of the Presidency of BiH from the Bosniak people.