SARAJEVO's Olympic stadium could not contain the crowd that came to see Alija Izetbegovic. Supporters of the man who was the Bosniacs' political leader throughout the war, and who remained in Sarajevo throughout the siege, took over the entire city.
Tens of thousands took to the streets at lunchtime yesterday as cars, buses, lorries and horses and carts formed a never-ending motorcade, round and round the city's one-way street system.
Many came from outside Sarajevo, waving SDA flags in the green and white so beloved of Islamic political parties.
Open lorries carried tightly packed groups of passionate young men, some wearing Arab headdress, some in uniform giving "V" for victory signs to the locals. Car horns and folk music blared. SDA posters bore the slogan, "In our own religion; in our own country".
During the war the SDA preached multiculturalism and pluralism. The party on display yesterday, however, seemed no place for a Catholic Croat or an Orthodox Serb. Sophisticated young Sarajevans watched, unmoved, as the more zealous Bosniacs (those who favour the concept of a united Bosnia) passed.
Over 40,000 packed the stadium, hundreds of giant green and white flags and flares making it look more like an Italian football crowd than a political rally. Above were the hills from which Serb gunners devastated the city. All around were the graveyards full of war dead.
Small vocal sections, of the crowd chanted the Islamist slogan "God is great" throughout, even 15 seconds into the minute's silence for those who died.
A fitting touch in this city, where it is often said that Europe meets Islam, Ms Amila Glamocak sang the song I Can't Live Without You that she performed at this year's Eurovision song contest. She received as enthusiastic reception as Allah did.
The speeches stressed military victory, the defeat of the "fascists" who besieged the city, and the strength of the Bosnian army. Voting for right or left-wing parties was wrong, many speakers said. At this crucial time in history, Bosniacs must vote for the national movement.
Like all national movements, the SDA does not see itself as a mere political party. "The SDA is a symbol of the nation, of the dignity of the nation, of all that is good," declared Dr Ismet Gavrancapetanovic, an SDA candidate.
Whether the SDA saw the Bosnia of the future as a multicultural state or one primarily for Muslim SDA supporters was not clear. "We are in favour of living together, but we are tired of persuading others that we support that, said another SDA doctor, Midhat Karacic.
The Prime Minister of Bosnia Herzegovina, Mr Hasan Muratovic, reminded the crowd of the party slogan. In our own religion; in our own country...We do not promise anything else."
The SDA, he said, was "open to Bosnians who do not practise their religion", but it was clear he was referring to non-practising Muslims (of which there are many in Sarajevo whose votes are needed) rather than other religions.
Mr Muratovic's speech was interrupted twice for the crowd to sing the full-length version of a paean of praise to Mr Izetbegovic.
"If there had been no you, Alija, I would have seen light as darkness/
I thought there was no one to listen, but my soul is listening to you," it begins.
Then came Alija. He referred to fears that the elections would validate the Bosnian Serb leaders within their own areas, and precipitate the break-up of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The SDA was participating in the elections, he said, because it had received guarantees from the Americans.
"We don't have good experience of the world, but we decided to believe them. I pray to God we don't regret our decision we have to believe someone," he told the faithful.