Izetbegovic Wife's Top Job Causes Stir in Bosnia

Friday's appointment of Sebija Izetbegovic, wife of the Bosniak member of the Bosnian Presidency, as director of the University Clinical Center of Sarajevo, UKCS, an important medical institute, has caused controversy in Bosnia.

Sebija, who has been director of the Abdulah Nakash hospital in Sarajevo since 2013, was elected at a session of the board of the UKCS on January 6.

She was the only candidate on the list, prompting claims that her nomination reflected the political influence of her husband, Bakir, who is also leader of the biggest Bosniak party in the country, the Party of Democratic Action, SDA].

"What enrages public opinion is that they treated this nomination like a fait accompli, without any transparency, almost as a family business. Bakir Izetbegovic himself barely reacted to the criticism, as if everything was normal and as if he was just waiting for everybody to forget this," Sarajevo analyst Ivana Maric said.

"The career of Sebija has skyrocketed since Bakir became member of the Presidency and, last year, secretary-general of the SDA," she added.

In a statement on its website after the session of the administrative council of the UKCS, the SDA insisted that the appointment was entirely regular.

"The nomination is in accordance with all legal procedures and with all the conditions in terms of working experience and the technical and scientific requirements for this position," the SDA wrote on Thursday.

The family of Bakir Izetbegovic, the son of the first president of Bosnia, Alija Izetbegovic, is one of the most powerful in the country.

" Izetbegovic's family is one of the most influential in Bosnia and Herzegovina, mainly because Bakir has exploited the political heritage and the importance of his...