"Somebody wants to set Sandžak on fire”

“Zukorlic is afraid of losing the next elections for the National Bosniak Council,” said Human and Minority Rights Minister Svetozar Ciplic. “I expect that the National Bosniak Council will finally be formed after the repeated elections,” he told daily Vecernje novosti. "Somebody wants to set Sandzak on fire” “The only ones who have suffered in this situation are Bosniaks themselves,” the minister was quoted as saying. “A political calculation, that one can run the national council with two mandates that, by the way, belong to somebody else, was aimed at gaining small and limited political benefit and left Bosniaks without their national council. Therefore, I hope that there won’t be similar abuse this time,” Ciplic stressed. Commenting on the possibility that the repeated elections could put a strain on political situation in Sandzak, he said: “I have noticed that one of political leaders is trying to turn social relations into a fire that would engulf all the citizens who live in Sandzak. But, fortunately, political stability depends on the citizens, primarily on Bosniaks themselves. And they certainly won’t set a fire to their own home,” the human and minority rights minister pointed out. Regarding Islamic Community in Serbia Chief Mufti Muamer Zukorlic’s announcements that he will boycott the elections, Ciplic said that it was a legitimate political position. “But the boycott always has a precisely determined motive. In this case the motive can be recognized in the fact that there is a founded fear that the list of the Bosniak Cultural Community (BKZ) will not get nearly as many votes as in the last year’s elections. Fear of such results leads to a political decision to boycott the elections,” the minister concluded. Svetozar Ciplic

"Somebody wants to set Sandžak on fire”

“The only ones who have suffered in this situation are Bosniaks themselves,” the minister was quoted as saying.

“A political calculation, that one can run the national council with two mandates that, by the way, belong to somebody else, was aimed at gaining small and limited political benefit and left Bosniaks without their national council. Therefore, I hope that there won’t be similar abuse this time,” Čiplić stressed.

Commenting on the possibility that the repeated elections could put a strain on political situation in Sandžak, he said: “I have noticed that one of political leaders is trying to turn social relations into a fire that would engulf all the citizens who live in Sandžak. But, fortunately, political stability depends on the citizens, primarily on Bosniaks themselves. And they certainly won’t set a fire to their own home,” the human and minority rights minister pointed out.

Regarding Islamic Community in Serbia Chief Mufti Muamer Zukorlić’s announcements that he will boycott the elections, Čiplić said that it was a legitimate political position.

“But the boycott always has a precisely determined motive. In this case the motive can be recognized in the fact that there is a founded fear that the list of the Bosniak Cultural Community (BKZ) will not get nearly as many votes as in the last year’s elections. Fear of such results leads to a political decision to boycott the elections,” the minister concluded.