Earlier this week, the SDA leadership announced that MP Senad Sepic had been replaced as head of the party’s Political Academy. The move, which Sepic says was illegal, is the latest manifestation of a power struggle between party chair Bakir Izetbegovic and a “rebel” wing, led by the 38-year-old Sepic.
Within the party itself, there is a group close to Izetbegovic, and another that is close to Bosnian Prime Minister Denis Zvizdic.
“Then you have a group of SDA romantics who cherish the idea of the SDA as an honest, moderate, conservative people’s party,” Numanovic added.
Sepic is one of four rebel MPs demanding what they call the “democratization” of the SDA, ever since members of Izetbegovic’s close circle emerged victorious in contentious internal elections last year.
The SDA also faces difficulties in its relationship with coalition partner SBB, due to the fallout from the prosecution of SBB leader Fahrudin Radoncic.
