Party of Democratic Action of Sandžak

The Party of Democratic Action of Sandžak (Bosnian: Stranka demokratske akcije Sandžaka, Serbian: Странка демократске акције Санџака, SDAS) is a political party in Serbia, representing the Bosniak ethnic minority concentrated in Sandžak region.

Party of Democratic Action of Sandžak
Stranka demokratske akcije Sandžaka
Странка демократске акције Санџака
AbbreviationSDAS
PresidentSulejman Ugljanin
Secretary-GeneralAhmedin Škrijelj
Deputy PresidentŠemsudin Kučević
FounderSulejman Ugljanin
Founded29 July 1990 (1990-07-29)
Headquarters28. novembra 94, Novi Pazar
Ideology
Political positionRight-wing[6]
ReligionSunni Islam
Parliamentary groupPSG–SDA of Sandžak–PDD
Colours  Green
National Assembly
2 / 250
Bosniak National Council
10 / 35
Party flag
Website
sda.rs

History

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The Party of Democratic Action of Sandžak (SDA) was founded on 29 July 1990 in Novi Pazar,[7] as a branch of the Party of Democratic Action based in Sarajevo,[8] which was then a pan-Yugoslav political party.[9] The branch was founded in order to protect the interests of ethnic Muslims of Sandžak, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo.[10] The leadership of the SDA included Sulejman Ugljanin, president of the SDA, Harun Hadžić, president of the SDA of Montenegro, Numan Balić, president of the SDA of Kosovo and Metohija and Riza Halili, president of the SDA of Preševo.[7]

The SDA founded the Muslim National Council of Sandžak (MNVS) on 11 May 1991.[10] The MNVS acted as a quasi-governmental body of the Sandžak Muslims.[11] It organised a referendum between 25 and 27 October 1991,[12] asking the Sandžak Muslims whether they're in favour of "full political and territorial autonomy" of Sandžak and its "right to join one of the sovereign republics", presumably the SR Bosnia and Herzegovina.[13] The Serbian authorities declared the referendum unconstitutional.[14] The referendum was organised with the support from the Bosnian SDA, although this was denied by the MNVS.[15] The MNVS claimed that 264,000 people in Sandžak, the rest of the SFR Yugoslavia and abroad asked to be included on the voter list.[16] The turnout was 71%, while 98% voted in favour of the political and territorial autonomy of Sandžak with right of joining to other republics of the SFR Yugoslavia.[12] President of the SDA said that the MNVS will decide which republic will Sandžak join, depending on further developments.[16] It historically advocated radical Bosniak nationalist and Islamist ideology.[13]

In late November the MNVS selected a new government.[15] The secretary of the SDA, Rasim Ljajić was named the prime minister, while Ugljanin remained the president of the MNVS. The SDA maintained majority in the government, with the Liberal Bosniak Organisation and the Party of National Equity also being represented.[11]

After the European Community declared the recognition of former Yugoslav republics in December 1991, Ugljanin sent the results of referendum to the Dutch Foreign Minister Hans van den Broek asking for "the recognition and full international and legal subjectivity of Sandžak".[16] In January 1992, the MNVS declared the creation of a "special status" for Sandžak that would give to the region a far-reaching autonomy. The initiative wasn't recognised by the Yugoslav or Serbian government.[11]

In a follow-up letter to the European Ministerial Council of 5 April 1992, Ugljanin, under the impact of the imminent foundation of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (founded after other republics left the SFR Yugoslavia, except Serbia and Montenegro), and referring to the Bosnian War, asked again for the recognition of Sandžak, as well as deployment of UN troops and other international presence.[16]

On 18 April, a Conference of Muslim Intellectuals of Sandžak, Montenegro and Serbia protested, in strong terms, against the foundation of the FR Yugoslavia against their will, calling for its nonrecognition. The MNVS adopted a resolution on 28 April that denied existence of the FR Yugoslavia, and insisted that the Sandžak Muslims should join the republic of their choice, which, in this case, was the Bosnian Muslim dominated Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.[17] In the resolution, it was bluntly said that "Muslims of Sandžak do not recognise newly created Yugoslavia".[16]

Electoral performance

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Parliamentary elections

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National Assembly of Serbia
Year Leader Popular vote % of popular vote # # of seats Seat change Coalition Status
1990 Sulejman Ugljanin 84,156 1.75%   5th
3 / 250
  3 Opposition
1992 Election boycott
0 / 250
  3 Extra-parliamentary
1993 Election boycott
0 / 250
  0 Extra-parliamentary
1997 49,486 1.25%   8th
3 / 250
  3 LzS Opposition
2000 Election boycott
0 / 250
  3 Extra-parliamentary
2003 481,249 12.75%   3rd
1 / 250
  1 SDAS–BDSSSLPSDSGSDCSDU Opposition
2007 33,823 0.85%   11th
2 / 250
  1 LzS Opposition
2008 38,148 0.94%   7th
1 / 250
  1 BLzES Government
2012 27,708 0.74%   12th
2 / 250
  1 Government
2014 35,157 1.01%   12th
3 / 250
  1 Opposition
2016 30,092 0.82%   11th
2 / 250
  1 Opposition
2020 24,676 0.80%   15th
3 / 250
  1 Opposition
2022 20,553 0.56%   15th
2 / 250
  1 Opposition
2023 21,827 0.59%   12th
2 / 250
  1 Opposition

Local elections

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Local election Council
Novi Pazar Tutin Sjenica Prijepolje Priboj Total won / Total contested
2012
14 / 47
New
21 / 37
New
12 / 39
New
6 / 61
New
3 / 41
New
56 / 252
New
2016
11 / 47
  3
22 / 37
  1
15 / 39
  3
3 / 61
  3
4 / 41
  1
55 / 252
  1
2020
9 / 47
  2
18 / 37
  4
9 / 39
  6
1 / 61
  2
2 / 41
  2
39 / 252
  16

Bosniak National Council

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The first elections for the national councils of various national minorities in Serbia were held in October 2014. The Bosniak National Council has 35 seats. The turnout for the Bosniak National Council was 35.7%. Most of the seats were won by the coalition led by the SDA of Sandžak, which gained 19 representatives, while the opposing coalition under Mufti Muamer Zukorlić won 16 seats.[18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2020). "Serbia". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  2. ^ Lončar, Jelena (September 2013). Political representation of national minorities: a case study of minority parties in Serbia. University of York. p. 78.
  3. ^ Political parties of the world. D. J. Sagar (7 ed.). London: John Harper. 2009. ISBN 978-0-9556202-5-6. OCLC 263295764.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  4. ^ Szöcsik & Bochsler 2014, p. 242.
  5. ^ The Europa world year book 2004. London: Europa. 2004. ISBN 1-85743-253-3. OCLC 55795909.
  6. ^ "Parlamentswahlen in Serbien 2022". kas.de (in German). 12 May 2022.
  7. ^ a b Vance & Paik 2006, p. 428.
  8. ^ Stojarová & Emerson 2013, p. 144.
  9. ^ Bugajski 1994, p. 160.
  10. ^ a b Ahrens 2007, p. 225.
  11. ^ a b c Bugajski 1994, p. 161.
  12. ^ a b BNV.
  13. ^ a b Morrison, Kenneth (2008). Political and Religious Conflict in the Sandžak. Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Advanced Research and Assessment. ISBN 978-1905962457.
  14. ^ Poulton & Taji-Farouki 1997, p. 175.
  15. ^ a b Poulton & Taji-Farouki 1997, p. 177.
  16. ^ a b c d e Ahrens 2007, p. 226.
  17. ^ Ahrens 2007, p. 214.
  18. ^ Blic & 27 October 2014.

Sources

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Books
Other
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