Former FBiH prime ministers: Where are they, what are they up to?

Since it was founded in 1994 and the Washington Peace Agreement, Federation Bosnia and Herzegovina has had 9 prime ministers. Most of them came from SDA. This party gave 6 prime ministers, including the current federal prime minister, Fadil Novalic. 

Two of the prime ministers came from SDP, one from HDZ BiH.

The government of Federation BiH is the highest executive power in FBiH and is headed by the prime minister. He makes proposals and gives recommendations in the realm of legislation, he prepares and submits to the Parliament FBiH budget proposals, he executes conclusions of legislative power in the Federation, ensures the implementation of decisions of the federal courts, along with various other authorizations.

Haris Silajdzic writes poetry (1994 - 1996) - SDA

Haris Silajdzic was the first prime minister of FBiH. He was born in 1945 in Breza. During his political career he performed some of the most important state functions in BiH such as the one of state prime minister, foreign minister BiH, he was the first prime minister of Federation BiH... Following his split with SDA, Silajdzic founded 'Stranka for BiH' (Party for BiH), which has ended up on the margins of BH political scene following a few mandates in the government and Silajdzic's withdrawal from the politics.

Silajdzic can be rarely seen in public. He enjoys writing poetry and has been published. Every now and then he makes appearance at some international conference. He rarely accepts interview requests.

Izudin Kapetanovic is the Director of 'Solane Tuzla' (1996) - SDA

Izudin Kapetanovic was the second federal prime minister. He was born in Tuzla in 1953. Professor of electrotechnics. He served as the prime minister throughout 1996. He left the politics and university to work as general director of 'Solana' in Tuzla. He seems to be doing a good job there.

Edhem Bicakcic is a businessman (1996 - 2001) - SDA

Edhem Bicakcic was the third federal prime minister from 1996 through 2001. Born in 1952 in Sarajevo. Expert in electro energetics. Today he runs a successful private consulting business in the field of energetics.

Dragan Covic, the member of BiH Presidency, president of HDZ BiH (2001) - HDZ

As the fourth prime minister of Federation BiH, Covic remained on the position for a short while. He became the prime minister in 2001 having served as federal finance minister and deputy prime minister in federal government.

Since then, Covic has served as the member of presidency, a delegate in the Parliament of BiH, eventually making his way back to the presidency as the Croat member. His name has always been linked to various controversies, mainly relating to finance malversations. 

Most prominent was the case dating back in 2006 when BiH Court ordered an appealable judgement of 5 years prison sentence for Covic on account of abuse of power. As the federal finance minister, Covic provided space for some companies to evade customs tax amounting to tens of millions KM. This court case has never been closed due to disappearance of some key documents from the court file.

Covic was born in Mostar in 1956. He presently serves as the member of BiH Presidency, president of HDZ BiH, president of HNS. Local media are still linking him to corruption. There is an article about his controversial property and assets authored by CIN's journalist, which last year received a second award, this time from European Union for investigative journalism in BiH. None of it would suffice for the Prosecutor's office to start an investigation.

Alija Behmen is a pensioner (2001 - 2003) - SDP BiH

Alija Behmen was the fifth federal prime minister. Born in Split in 1940, Behmen is former mayor of Sarajevo and a member of SDP. He graduated and got his master's degree and PhD at the Faculty of Economics, University of Sarajevo where he worked as a professor. He is pensioner who rarely appears in public. 

Ahmet Hadzipasic, deceased (2003 - 2007) - SDA

The sixth prime minister of FBiH, Ahmet Hadzipasic, was born in Cazin in 1952. He got his PhD at the Faculty of Mechanics in Zenica. He was a member of SDA. Hadzipasic passed away in 2008 at the age of 56.

Nedzad Brankovic owner of 2 companies, professor, consultant (2007 - 2009) - SDA

Nedzad Brankovic, the seventh federal prime minister was appointed in 2007 to give his resignation 3 years later, after Bakir Izetbegovic lost in a run for president of SDA to Sulejman Tihic. That was the moment when Brankovic demonstrated an absolute loyalty to Bakir Izetbegovic.

He recently stated that he left the politics but the politics did not leave him. He's right – highly unlikely it will ever leave him. General perception of Brankovic is that he used political relations more for personal gain and rise and less for common good. Most of the exceptional qualities that he certainly possesses – the society has had no use at all.

Brankovic was born in Visegrad in 1962. There are two companies registered in the FBiH court in his name as 'consulting in construction, road infrastructure, transportation'.

Besides working hard in his private companies, Brankovic is a professor at the Faculty of traffic and communications in Sarajevo.

Since 2015, he has been receiving his fourth salary as an advisor in Sarajevo osiguranje (insurance company).

When responding to accusations that he took advantage of his position in the politics, he always offers the same line – 'everything that I have done, I have done according to the law. If anyone can prove different, he may do so.'

There are several big cases relating to suspected multimillion crime, which refer to Nedzad Brankovic. 

At the time Brankovic was director of Energoinvest, he was reproached for selling so-called 'Congo debt' to Energoinvest of 29.3 million US$, for only 3.3 million US$.

His name also popped up in the Energopetrol case. The cantonal prosecutor's office is re-examining the circumstances under which the biggest BH oil company was sold in 2006 to then Croatian-Hungarian consortium INA-MOL. Brankovic took part in the sale process as federal minister of traffic and communications.

Charges were filed against Brankovic for procurement of TALGO trains for BiH Railways, paid with 68 million KM of tax payers’ money. Those trains have not started running fully as today.

Mustafa Mujezinovic is an ambassador (2009- 2011) - SDA

Mustafa Mujezinovic is the eight prime minister of Federation BiH. Before that, he was the governor – prime minister of Canton Sarajevo. He was also the ambassador of BiH to Malesia and an advisor at the federal Development bank. After his mandate of prime minister ended, SDA appointed him the BiH ambassador to the United Kingdom. Mujezinovic is presently the ambassador to Russia.

Nermin Niksic is the president of SDP and delegate in federal parliament (2011 – 2015) - SDP BiH

Niksic was the eight federal prime minister. He was born in 1960 in Konjic. Jurist by profession, Niksic became the prime minister as an SDP candidate.

During his mandate, Niksic faced the issue of natural disasters such were floods and avalanches that hit parts of federation in May 2014. Large part of BH highway was built during his day, pensions were increased too.

At the end of his prime minister's mandate, Niksic took over the position of SDP BiH president. He faced rather difficult situation in the party which was among the least popular at the time. Last two years Niksic dedicated to re-building positive image and credibility of SDA. He seems to be managing well. He is also a delegate in the federal parliament.

Fadil Novalic (2014 - present) - SDA  

The current federal prime minister is Fadil Novalic. He was appointed to the position in 2014, being introduced as a person with strong background in economy. The Registry of business entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is a public database, lists 3 companies registered in his name, and 3 companies with more than one founder where his daughter Ada Novalic appears as one of the founders. Businessmen and tradesmen had great expectations of Novalic. They now say that they got very little.

Novalic is likely to be remembered as the prime minister who sold some of the most precious state companies, including the state shares in Tobacco factory (FDS) and Bosnalijek. Big sale of the state's shares in Sarajevo osiguranje, the biggest insurance company in BiH is still making headlines.

Novalic was born in Gradacac in 1959.