Tihic won the new four-year term by a majority of votes of delegates at the SDA's fifth convention, and defeated two rivals: Bakir Izetbegovic, the son of the late Alija Izetbegovic, the party's founder, and Adnan Terzic.
Both Bakir Izetbegovic and Terzic used to be Tihic's close associates until recently when they started criticising Tihic for a stalemate in reforms in Bosnia.
Tihic, who succeeded Alija Izetbegovic in this post, pledged to continue with constitutional reforms in the country which he described as a key to the resolution of political, economic and social problems in the country.
He said that he would pursue a policy of compromises, and nourish good neighbourly relations with other states, including Croatia.