Has Nikšić Played His Last Trumpet?

(Patria) - "We can neither confirm nor deny," is the identical answer from the Party of Democratic Action and the Social Democratic Party when Politicki.ba asked if contacts had occurred yesterday between Bakir Izetbegović and Nermin Nikšić.

Therefore, they did.

After the SDP lost a (Bosniak) delegate in the House of Peoples of the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the last straw broke for the SDP!

On the other hand, this party secured control over the formation of government at the FBiH entity level, when its candidate for (vice) president received 13 votes in the Serb Club of the Federal House of Peoples.

"Three parties can form the federal government," stated one of the messages we received from the SDP leadership yesterday.

Igor Stojanović, Refik Lendo, and Lidija Bradara will form the leadership of FBiH. Through them, SDP, SDA, and HDZ BiH influence not only who will form the government of the larger BiH entity but also the composition of cantonal governments.

The Trojka – SDP – NiP – NS – "is shaking like a loose tooth." It has been unstable before. With personnel solutions, not only has each party "swallowed at least one frog," but membership dissatisfaction has also grown.

Yesterday's voting outcome for the BiH House of Peoples was the last straw in an already overflowing glass. Nikšić sent messages/a letter to the leaders of the melting majority, Slobodna Bosna reported.

In it, he announced that he would schedule a "session of the SDP Main Board for the beginning of next week and propose whether to make a decision and whether to open discussions about other possible partners for forming the government. Or for us to remain in opposition, and you, as the Sedmorka, to go with SDA."

At the same time, he is "freezing the SDP's status in the Osmorka." Before or after typing the messages to the Osmorka leaders, Nikšić spoke with Izetbegović.

Both SDA and SDP announced to Politicki.ba that talks would continue. Earlier, we were told by the SDP leadership, and confirmed yesterday, that some principles have been defined in the communications between the leaders of the two parties.

Among other things, Nermin Nikšić will be the federal prime minister. The SDP should also receive four ministers in the FBiH entity government. This government would consist of SDA – DF, and a bloc of parties around HDZ BiH.

They did not want to confirm or deny this to us either, but what was constant in our communications with SDP leaders yesterday was the interest in forming a stable government.

For them, it would be ideal if, in addition to these four, at least one more party (NiP) joined, which would create a two-thirds majority in the Federal Parliament for constitutional changes.

SDA says that talks (they always use this term, not "negotiations") are ongoing, but the impression is that much has already been agreed upon and that the path towards an SDA-SDP coalition is being paved wherever possible.

Politicki.ba reported a few days ago that a fierce argument had occurred between SDP and BHI Kasumović Fuad in the Zenica-Doboj Canton.

"As far as SDP is concerned, we are stopping here," wrote the head of the cantonal organization of that party, Mirsad Mahmutagić.

The reason for the argument was appointments to positions in public enterprises and institutions. BHI FK insisted that Omer Škaljo could not remain in the position of director of the Health Insurance Fund of ZDK.

"Mr. Mirsad, you increasingly resemble those who protect criminals," reads another message that Politicki.ba has seen. It was written by Kasumović.

It seems that the differences between the two pillars of the seven-member coalition in ZDK have been "bridged," but a growing bitter taste remains.

Mahmutagić had previously, both before and after that verbal duel, accused Kasumović of wanting to form a government in ZDK with SDA.

That is not far from the truth. But it is also quite clear that the SDP in this canton also wants to form a government with SDA. It is also boiling in the Bosanska-Podrinjska Canton Goražde. The SDP is becoming increasingly nervous in the face of growing blackmail by small parties.

Thus, at the beginning of this month, the BPK Government had to appoint a person to a position in a public institution who had previously been dismissed from a ministerial position because it was proven that they had falsified their university diploma. The SDP was against it.

In other cantons within the Trojka/Osmorka, things are as chaotic as in a beehive. Due to increasingly frequent arguments, broken promises, backroom deals... the coalition capacity of SDA-DF is growing.

If the SDP "breaks" in the coming week and moves towards negotiations with SDA, governments could be changed or formed for ZDK, BPK, USK, Sarajevo Canton... with (significantly) fewer parties than is currently the case. And that means more positions for the parties in power.

"SDA is always generous in making coalitions," a high-ranking SDP official with whom we have been communicating more intensively in recent days will triumphantly say to Politicki.ba.