Šahman: Mustafić Privatized the Bosniak Council and Subordinated it to the Interests of One Party

AUTHOR: M.J. GDNUS

Sead Šahman, the president of the Bosniak Democratic Movement (BDP) and a current member of the Bosniak Council in Montenegro, responded after yesterday's session held in Rožaje. He accused the current president of the Bosniak Council, Suljo Mustafić, of privatizing the organization and subordinating it to the interests of only one political party.

Šahman stated on his Facebook profile that yesterday's session was more reminiscent of a party circus than what the Council should truly be.

"The session held on Saturday, April 5, 2025, was particularly interesting because it discussed the announcement of a public call for the new composition of the Bosniak Council in Montenegro. However, it is important to create valid substantive and formal prerequisites for such a process so that it is completely transparent, and in order to ensure that the results of the elections are acceptable to all participants and interested parties," Šahman noted.

He added that the Bosniak Party has a strong interest in this process, as the Council serves as a survival mechanism for party decisions and as an institution meant to justify their political actions.

"Since Suljo Mustafić became the president of the Council two years ago, it has never been more politically colored. I have repeatedly pointed this out and raised it at Council meetings as an active member of the current composition," Šahman wrote.

He pointed out that all public reactions from the Council, which are essentially just Mustafić’s personal reactions, typically happen a few hours after the response of his political party.

"Wrapped up and packaged with the party leadership—these reactions are presented as 'the interest of all Bosniaks in Montenegro'. This has always happened without prior consultations with people and members of the Council who think differently," Šahman believes.

He reminded that before the session, he had requested from the president of the Council to allow him to be a member by function, as he believes it is his right guaranteed by the Law on Minority Rights and Freedoms, being the president of the Bosniak Democratic Movement (BDP).

However, Mustafić and some party leaders rejected this request by adopting pre-ordered opinions, which are completely non-binding.

"I remind you that 26 members entered the Council by function, of which 15 are from the Bosniak Party. And of course, they are only bothered by ONE member from the Bosniak Democratic Movement (BDP). This speaks volumes about their fear of our political activity, which is slowly but surely entering a phase of serious political organization," Šahman emphasized.

Yesterday's session, according to him, was conducted without clear proposals or concrete conclusions about what was being voted on, using lies and insinuations that misled Council members.

"In the first part, there was a discussion on the number and composition of the Election Commission, and it was decided that the Commission would consist of seven members, ensuring greater representation of people interested in making this process legal and free from behind-the-scenes actions. After my proposal for Dr. Bejto Šahmanović, the vice president of the Bosniak Council, to be included in the Commission, which was accepted and confirmed by the president’s reading, an urgent request from the leadership of the Bosniak Party arrived, who were following the session live, to reduce the number of commission members and deny Dr. Šahmanović the right to be part of the Election Commission. After an unconstitutional vote and strange counting with accompanying manipulations at the session, a nearly one-party commission was 'elected', consisting of high-ranking Bosniak Party officials: the president of the municipal assembly of Rožaje, who holds the position on behalf of the Bosniak Party, the president of the Bosniak Women's Forum, a Bosniak Party MP in the Montenegrin Parliament, and another member of that party. This composition GUARANTEES that another electoral fraud and engineering is being prepared, which will prevent the Bosniak Council from being a true representative body of all Bosniaks in Montenegro," Šahman explained.

He warned that there are serious suspicions and indications that another electoral abuse of resources is imminent, benefiting only one political party.

According to him, such actions by the Council’s leadership and the party they represent undermine the credibility and integrity of the Council and subordinate it to the interests of one party.

Šahman called on the interested public, independent intellectuals, relevant institutions—especially those overseeing the councils of minority nations, the media, fellow citizens from all parts of Montenegro, and all good people who care about preserving institutions—to condemn such behavior and contribute to ensuring that we finally have an electoral process whose results no one will contest.

"What is certain is that Vice President of the Council Dr. Bejto Šahmanović and I will use every possible legal remedy to point out all the shortcomings and flaws in the work of the Bosniak Council to the institutions overseeing it, as well as to judicial bodies," concluded the president of BDP, Sead Šahman.