Nikšić already has secured majority in SDP Main Board: Membership will no longer elect the president, where has democracy gone

(Patria) - The SDP BiH Congress yesterday elected 65 members of the Main Board, with another 45 members to be elected subsequently.

According to the published list, among the 65 elected members are state parliamentarians, state ministers, federal ministers, federal parliamentarians, cantonal representatives, ministers in the Government of the Sarajevo Canton, mayors, and municipal heads.

Of the 65 members, 15 are from Sarajevo, and these are well-known figures and close associates of SDP President Nermin Nikšić, who were the main advocates for extending Nikšić's mandate again alongside Vojin Mijatović.

It is already clear that Nikšić has secured a majority in the SDP Main Board for all future decisions, one of which will be with whom this party will form a coalition after the next General Elections in October 2026. Although the presidents of SBB and NIP, Fahrudin Radončić and Elmedin Konaković, were present at the Congress yesterday, the question remains whether SDP BiH will repeat the success they had in 2022. It was precisely at the expense of the SDP that Naša stranka and NIP entered state and federal government with significantly weaker capacity.

What is new is that Nikšić will have three deputies, instead of the previous vice-presidents. These could be Vojin Mijatović and Nerin Dizdar, and due to national balance, one of the deputies should also be from the Croat community.

Nikšić's mandate has been extended until March 2027, when a new Congress should be held to elect the SDP president.

This is the second time Nikšić's mandate has been extended contrary to the provisions of the Statute, and precisely because of this "privatization" of the party, some municipal organizations did not delegate delegates nor participate in the work of the Congress.

One of them is the SDP BiH Municipal Organization of Stari Grad, close to Irfan Čengić, who did not attend the previous SDP Congress in June 2023 either. Denis Bećirović was also not present at the SDP Congress.

Many SDP members were also surprised by the information that the election of the SDP president on the principle of One member – one vote is being abolished, and Nikšić himself was elected that way in 2019. There is a big difference when about 40,000 members, who had the right to vote last time, vote compared to 700 delegates at the Congress. It seems that democracy in the SDP is taking a different form – the party is me, in the image and likeness of Nermin Nikšić.

A large number of members did not hide their disappointment with yesterday's Congress, and in comments left below posts by some "influential SDP members," they did not spare the SDP and its leadership from criticism.

Mostly elected are members who already hold some positions