SDA from Alija to Bakir: Once Bosniak strength, today burdened with internal unrest and crime

The Party of Democratic Action (Stranka demokratske akcije – SDA) will mark its 27th anniversary on 26 May 2017. Ever since its inception, the party has been headed by 3 men only. The first president was Alija Izetbegovic who led the party and the Bosniaks during the most dramatic period of Bosnian history. He remain the president until October 2001.

Alija Izetbegovic officially stepped down at the 3rd Congress of the party in 2001. The party elected its new president, Sulejman Tihic. He remained the president until the 6th Congress when Bakir Izetbegovic won the elections and became new president.

Currently, SDA is going through turbulent times, facing internal turmoil, the management burdened with criminal charges, expelling the members who have been with the party from its inception. The only democracy remaining in the party is the letter D in its name as anyone requesting changes get accused of wanting to destroy SDA.

The 27th anniversary will be marked at the graveyard Kovaci (where the founder of SDA Alija Izetbegovic was buried) by laying flowers and wreath. At 16:00, flowers and wreaths will be laid at the grave of Sulejman Tihic in Bosanski Samac.

At 11:00 a.m., an assembly held at Sarajevo's Holiday hotel with Bakir Izetbegovic as keynote speaker.

SDA was founded on 26 May 1990 at the founding conference in Sarajevo. It represented the first registered political party following 45 years of one-party system in Yugoslavia. SDA program declaration defined the party as 'the political union of Yugoslavia citizens who belong to Muslim cultural and historical circle, as well as other citizens of Yugoslavia who uphold the program and goals of the party.' A 'special interest in preserving Bosnia and Herzegovina as a joint state of Muslims, Serbs and Croats' was emphasized. In that sense, 'SDA will strongly confront any attempt to destabilize, divide or claim BiH, regardless of where such pretensions may come from.'