Bosniaks Name New State Government Ministers

Following the end of Bosnia's prolonged political stalemate at the end of December 2011 and the appointment of the new Prime Minister on January 12, the country's six main parties have started proposing ministers for the new state government, the Council of Ministers.

Sulejman Tihic, leader of the Party of Democratic Action, SDA, said on January 13 that the security portfiolio will go to Sadik Ahmetovic, who held the position from 2006 to 2010, while defence will go to Muhamed Ibrahimovic, member of parliament in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of Bosnia's two entities.

“It was very important for our party to get the defence ministry since that post is our priority,” said Tihic, “and the priority for the new minister will be the Membership Action Plan for NATO.”

The SDA leader said on Friday that the new security minister, Ahmetovic, had a successful ministerial career behind him, having presided over Bosnia's inclusion in the EU's visa liberalization scheme for the Balkans, in December 2010.

The Social Democrats - nominally a non-ethnic party but in practice mainly Bosniak - will propose their party president, Zlatko Lagumdzija, as Bosnia's new Foreign Minister. Damir Hadzic, the party's vice-president, will get transport and communications, the SDP announced in Sarajevo on January 11.

After the new Prime Minister, Vjekoslav Bevanda, received all the necessary approvals from the state presidency and parliament, he announced upcoming consultations with nine ministerial candidates that are to be proposed by the six main parties.

According to the December 28 agreement, the two Serbian parties, the Alliance of the Independent Social Democrats, SNSD, and Serbian Democratic Party, SDS, will suggest candidates for the ministries of Finance and Treasury, Civil Affairs and Foreign Trade and Economic Relations.

The two main Croatian parties, the Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, and its sister party, HDZ 1990, besides appointing Bevanda as premier, will propose ministers of Justice and Human Rights and Refugees.

The Serbian and Croatian parties are expected to propose the names of their future ministers to Bevanda in the consultations, as they have not yet divulged the names in question.