The leadership of the Islamic community this week issued a statement recalling that back in August 2002, before general elections, it had decided not to take part in the promotion of any party, but that it would continue to follow political activities, especially those concerning religion, freedom and the dignity of Muslims in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The Muslim leaders also recalled that religious facilities could not be used for political promotion and that Muslim priests were strictly forbidden to mention any party or political figure in their sermons "either in a positive or negative context".
The Islamic community leadership recommended that Muslims take part in the local elections on October 2 and vote according to their conscience, using the freedom of election to establish true peace and security in the country.
The reaction came after the Bosnian media warned about the inappropriate behaviour of the deputy head of the Islamic community, Ismet Spahic, who called on Muslims at last week's opening of a mosque in a northern Bosnian village to vote for candidates "who are not infidels". Although he did not mention any specific party, it was not hard for journalists to conclude that he was actually lobbying for the SDA and against the Social Democratic Party (SDP), which has been in power in the village for four years.
A kind of symbiosis between the Islamic community and the SDA has been visible since the first multiparty elections in Bosnia, but after the death of the party's founder, Alija Izetbegovic, and internal reshuffles their disagreements became obvious for the first time.
The head of the Islamic community, Mustafa Ceric, this summer openly criticised incumbent SDA leader Sulejman Tihic for allegedly marginalising the role of representatives of the Islamic community at the opening
of Mostar's reconstructed mediaeval bridge.
This year's local elections in Bosnia offer a chance for national parties to regain control in a large number of municipalities in which four years ago elections were won by parties like the SDP.
Public opinion polls conducted in the past two months show that most voters in the Muslim-Croat federation support the SDA, which is followed by the SDP.
In the Serb entity most voters support the opposition Party of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) of former prime minister Milorad Dodik, while the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) continues to lose in popularity.