Elections 2018 / Who are potential candidates for BiH Presidency members

Although only a year has passed since the General Elections in 2018, now the pre-election campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina is becoming more and more intense.

The names of members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina have started to speculate already.

The Democratic Action Party (SDA) has not yet come out with names in the public, and speculated that the current mayor of the Municipality of Novi Grad, Semir Efendić, could have been a candidate for a Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency.

Apart from Efendic, the names of the current chairman of the Council of Ministers of BiH, Denis Zvizdic, and even the director of the UKCS, Sebija Izetbegovic, or wife Bakir Izetbegovic, were speculative in the public. This speculation was denied by Bakir Izetbegovic, saying that it was a "story of the charms". The same was disproved by Sebija Izetbegovic in an interview for a magazine, saying she was not a candidate for a Bosniak member of the Presidency of BiH.

The Alliance for a Better Future (SBB) is likely to run again for Fahrudin Radoncic, who would be the third consecutive attempt to win the mandate in the BiH Presidency. In 2010, Radončić won 142,387 votes, losing then from Bakir Izetbegović (SDA) with 162,831 votes. In the re-run of 2014, Radončić lost again, but this time with 201,454 votes, while Bakir Izetbegović won 247,235 votes. Radoncic said in a statement to the local media that "there is no Bosniak past Bakir Izetbegovic who could put him on the line".

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) of BiH has not yet made a decision on who will be their candidate for the BiH Presidency member. They did not go public with names, because no program was agreed for the 2018 General Elections. The media in BiH mentioned the name of Denis Becirović for the Bosniak member of the Presidency of BiH, and he enjoys the greatest support within the SDP itself. The left-wing parties still did not define whether they would come out with one candidate for a Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency.

The candidature for the Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency was also confirmed by Amer Jerlagić from the Party for BiH.

Slavo Kukić recently announced his candidacy for a Croat member of the BiH Presidency.

"If I'm running, I will surely beat Dragan Čović. If I do, and if I do not have 100,000 votes more than him, I promise, I will give up the position of a member of the BiH Presidency, "Kukić told a Sarajevo media.

According to analysts, Kukić should be a united candidate of the left and liberal parties against Dragan Čović (HDZ).

Apart from Kukić, and Jerko Ivankovic Lijanovic from the People's Party working for better, he announced his candidacy for a Croat member of the BiH Presidency.

When it comes to the race for a Serb member of the Presidency of BiH, it will be the most interesting. They did not nominate their candidate in the SNSD, but speculated that the current RS President Milorad Dodik could have been a candidate. Apart from Dodik, Zeljka Cvijanovic could try again.

The candidate for the Alliance for Change should again be Mladen Ivanić. Ivanić won 317,799 votes in the previous elections, while Željka Cvijanović won 310,867 votes.

• 28 Jul, 2017
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