Bosnia's SDP in Turmoil After Election Failure

Damir Hadzic and Nermin Niksic, two key figures in Bosnia's Social Democratic Party, SDP, have resigned decision-making posts in the party after its debacle in last Sunday's elections.

At a crisis press conference on October 16, the SDP said an extraordinary party congress would soon choose a new leadership.

Zlatko Lagumdzija, the veteran party leader, confirmed that he would not be running for the post again.

In a seech full of nautical references, he said the SDP was sailing "in a rough sea" but, with its existing crew on board, they would "bring the SDP into a peaceful harbour" following the recent election "shipwreck".

Niksic, general secretary of the SDP, and Prime Minister of Bosnia's Federation entity, said he was resigning from decision-making positions in the party because of the election results.

"I think I am co-responsible for the catastrophic result of the SDP," he said. "All of us in the SDP must lay out our bills for what happened in the elections. A congress of the SDP needs to find a new leadership."

Hadzic - currently vice-president of the SDP and Bosnia's Communication Minister - said his resignation was "a moral obligation". Returning to his leader's maritime theme, he added: "Someone needs to bring this ship to a harbour".

Other members of the leadership of the party are expected to resign shortly. The date of the congress will reportedly be set next week.

At the 2010 general elections, the Social Democratic Party won more than 265.000 votes for the state parliament and a similar number for the Federation entity parliament. It was thus the clear winner among the Bosniak population.

Having been in opposition for years, criticizing the parties that had ruled for so...