Political parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina have received over 13 million BAM in donations over the past eight years, with every fifth mark paid from the accounts of private companies, some of which received million-mark contracts with the public sector.
According to data collected and compiled by the Integrity Watch BiH platform, from 2019 to 2025, 32,973 tenders were awarded to bidders who financially supported the work of parties, with contract values exceeding 20 million marks.
This platform was launched by Transparency International in BiH, and analysis of the collected data shows that certain donors receive public contracts of significantly greater value after financing parties, raising the question of whether formally modest donations represent an entry ticket into the public procurement system.
One of the largest political donors in the country is Azmir Husić, a businessman from Tuzla. Through his company “Heez Transport,” he donated 50,000 marks to the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) at the end of 2022.
Previously, he was a member of the Movement of Democratic Action (PDA), which he also supported with the same amount before his departure. Parallel to Husić’s transition to SDA, “Heez Transport” began receiving million-mark contracts at the Kreka coal mine, primarily involving the rental of mining equipment.
During that period, the mines within the Electric Utility of BiH were staffed by coalition partners DF and SDA. From January 2022 to the present, dozens of contracts worth over 10.6 million marks have been concluded, the most valuable of which, for overburden excavation, was worth 5.24 million BAM and concluded in February 2023. .
Željko Vrkačević, owner of the company “Braco i Sinovi” from Brčko District, supported the United Serb Party on two occasions with a total of 13,000 marks—the party of Nenad Stevandić, which shares power in Republika Srpska together with SNSD. This company sold the casino hotel “Theatrum” in Brčko to the Government of Republika Srpska for 36 million marks, which was later converted into the “Serbian House.”
Željko Vrkačević’s brother, Dražen, is a deputy in the Brčko District Assembly and president of the United Serb Party municipal committee in this town. Milan Šuvak, owner of the company “Šumil” from Kozarska Dubica, is one of the largest financiers of the People’s Party of Serbs (NPS) of Darko Banjac, making donations as an individual.
During 2022, he paid 19,990 marks, and since Banjac became director of the Mlječanica spa, he has been the undisputed master of tenders at this health institution.
From roof replacement and painting to the construction of bungalows and sports fields, and even the procurement of eggs, this company has received contracts worth approximately 18 million marks.
It should be noted that financing of political parties is prohibited for companies that directly conduct business with executive authorities, so due to numerous complaints submitted to the CEC by Transparency International in BiH, parties had to return money to donors, and most of them stopped listing legal entities as donors in their reports altogether.
Party Officials Took Over Party Financing
Instead, donations from individuals began to dominate party financial reports, and it is interesting that last year support from businesspeople to political parties was absent and the main donors were primarily party officials.
During 2025, 2.26 million marks were donated through 1,366 donations, according to data from their financial reports published on the website of the Central Election Commission of BiH.
The Integrity Watch BiH database shows that cash inflows increase dramatically during election cycles, while in non-election years this intensity drops drastically.
What is interesting about last year is that of the total amount of donations received, as much as 1.8 million marks went to parties from Republika Srpska, while parties from the Federation of BiH collected only a smaller portion of approximately 465,000 BAM.
The Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) collected the most money—427,220 BAM from 197 donations. The largest donor is Zoran Tegeltija, the current director of the Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH, who donated 10,000 BAM in November last year.
Below him is Igor Milojević, an official from the Trebinje city committee who supported his party with 9,000 BAM, and Dr. Mikajlo Lazić, director of the Sveti Vračevi Hospital in Bijeljina, with a donation of 8,000 BAM. The same amount—8,000 BAM—was donated by Dalibor Tomaš.
Goran Maričić, director of the RS Tax Administration, Ljubo Ninković, president of the Banjaluka City Assembly, Denis Šulić, former Minister of Trade and Tourism in the RS Government, and Miloš Lukić, director of the Official Gazette of Republika Srpska, each donated 5,000 BAM.
In second place by total donations is the Socialist Party, which received 317,765 BAM through 122 donations last year.
In this party, the largest donations amounted to 5,000 marks and were made by, among others, Denis Stevanović, director of the Environmental Protection Fund, Nikola Vukčević, councilor in the Banjaluka City Assembly, and Igor Kneginić, president of the Prijedor City Assembly.
The People’s Front of Jelena Trivić is the third party by total amount of donations received in 2025, with 252,725.42 BAM collected.
The largest donors, out of a total of 78, are Milivoje Nović, Tanja Vukmirović, and Žarko Tešić, each with 10,000 BAM—all members of the party’s main board.
The next two positions are also occupied by parties from Republika Srpska: the United Serb Party with 217,376 BAM in donations and the Republican Party of Srpska, which reported contributions of 182,525.40.
Regarding parties headquartered in the Federation of BiH, the first by donations is the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), which received 156,433.90 BAM through 105 donations.
The largest contribution of 5,000 BAM was made by Mijo Stanić, Minister of Finance in the Government of Posavina Canton, followed by Lucija Iljić Džojić, Damir Živković, and Đuro Delić, each with 4,000 BAM.
The Party of Democratic Action (SDA) is second by donations in the FBiH with an amount of 90,116.8 BAM.
The party was most supported by Salko Zildžić, a representative in the federal parliament, with 10,000 BAM, and this political organization is one of the few that was also supported by private companies with a total amount of 10,400 BAM.
Significant donations in this entity were also received by the “People’s Power” party of Ramo Isak, with the largest contribution made by businessman Dario Pekić.
Overall, when data from last year is combined with those on the Integrity Watch BiH platform since 2018, SDA received the most donations—2,321,016.59 BAM.
Second is SNSD, which collected 1,195,736.3 BAM, while the third party by donations is the United Serb Party, which received 1,195,736.3 BAM over eight years.
Interestingly, a political party also appears among the largest donors—namely, the People’s Democratic Movement, which donated a total of 45,000 BAM to the Socialist Party on two occasions in 2022.
In addition to financing political parties, Integrity Watch BiH monitors public procurement and asset declarations of elected officials.
The platform provides insight into how public money is spent, who receives public contracts and what procedures are used, how political parties are financed, including sources of donations, and how elected public officials declare their assets.
