Party leaders meet to decide fate of Social Democrat president

Leaders of the Social Democratic Party are meeting today to decide the future of their president, Ursula Koch (pictured), who is attempting to stay in office despite calls for her resignation.

Leaders of the Social Democratic Party are meeting today to decide the future of their president, Ursula Koch (pictured), who is attempting to stay in office despite calls for her resignation.

On Thursday, Koch dismissed criticism of her leadership and vowed to stay in office. However, she indicated she was awaiting the decision by party leaders before deciding on her next move.

The management committee of the Social Democrats is meeting today to discuss the crisis. Those talks will be followed by a gathering of the party’s parliamentary faction.

Analysts say they may call a meeting of the executive in March. That move could pave the way for a special party meeting in summer at which the debate over the party’s leadership could come to a head.

At her news conference in Berne on Thursday, Koch said she believed she still had the confidence of the party’s grass roots. However, she admitted making certain mistakes, and that she needed to improve the way she communicated with the media.

Koch said she was disappointed at the way in which the disputes within the party were being conducted. The crisis erupted into the open after a meeting of the party’s management at the weekend. The row has been wreaking havoc with party unity, and calls for her resignation have multiplied over the past week.

Koch has been party president since 1997. Her critics accuse her of failing to fulfil promises made during her campaign for election as party president. She has also been accused of being over-harsh towards people within the party who disagree with her views.

From staff and wire reports