Nermin Nikšić new president of SDP

Nermin Nikšić has been elected as the new president of the Social Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina (SDP), reports the Bosnian news agency Patria. The SDP congress, which began at 10 a.m. on Saturday, lasted nearly 24 hours.

After the first round of voting, none of the five candidates received enough votes to take over the leadership position of the SDP. Nermin Nikšić and Selim Bešlagić advanced to the second round. Nikšić received 231 votes, while Bešlagić received 207.

The delegates had to vote again, and in the end, Nikšić won with 233 votes.

Nikšić was born in Konjic and is still the current Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since 2007, he has also served as the Secretary General of the SDP.

He joined the SDP in 1993. From 1988, he was employed in the Municipality of Konjic as a referent for urban planning, construction, and housing-utility affairs, and later as a market and hospitality inspector. From 1990 to 1992, he was the head of the Department for Inspection Affairs. During the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 1992 to 1995, he was an assistant commander for legal affairs, and later a moral officer in the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

From 1995 to 1998, he was the president of the Executive Board of the Municipality of Konjic. From 1998 to 2000, he served as secretary for general administration, housing-utility, and inspection affairs. He was appointed deputy mayor of the Municipality of Konjic in 2000, but resigned after being elected as a representative in the House of Representatives of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. From 1994 to 2004, he was the president of the Konjic branch of the SDP BiH. He was elected as a representative three times consecutively. In the 2002-2006 term, he was vice-president, and later president of the SDP BiH Caucus. From 2004 to 2007, he was the president of the cantonal branch of the SDP for the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton.

Additionally, at the extraordinary congress, 110 members of the Main Board and 11 members of the Supervisory Board were elected.