Social Democratic Party (Bijan)

The Social Democratic Party (Esperanto: Socialdemokratia Partio, SDP) is a political party in Bijan, and one of the country's major parties. The Social Democratic Party currently holds 92 of the 245 seats in the Bijani House of Representatives, and is the senior partner in a coalition government consisting of Together for Bijan and the Bijani Greens. Jakovo Ostaras, the leader of the Social Democratic Party, has been Chief Minister of Bijan since 2009.

The Social Democratic party is committed to social-democratic ideals.  Its slogan since 1990 has been "everyone shall take part" (Esperanto: Ĉiu Partoprenu), and the party traditionally seeks a strong welfare state, funded through taxes and duties.  Since the 1980s, the party has included more of the principles of a social market economy in its policy, allowing for privatization of government-held assets and services and reducing income tax progressivity, following the wave of economic liberalization in the 1980s.  During Jakovo Ostaras' first term as Chief Minister, the party's policies were partly inspired by Tony Blair's New Labour, and saw the most widespread privatization by any Bijani government to date.  The SDP has frequently been described as increasingly neoliberal since the 1980s, both by political scientists and opponents on the left.  The SDP profiles itself as a progressive aprty that subscribes to cooperation on a national as well as an international level.  It's youth wing is the Social Democratic Youth (Socialdemokratia Junularo).

History

Founded in 1944, and a participant in every general election to date, the Social Democratic Party was the longtime runner-up to the Liberal Democratic Party, and formed the backbone of the Bijani political opposition.

In 1973, the Social Democratic Party became the largest party in the Bijani House of Representatives for the first time, with 62 of the 173 seats, and formed a minority coalition government with the New Bijan Party and the Alliance of Dutch Voters, with commitments on confidence and supply from smaller parties.  Lansen Naprem became the first Social Democratic Chief Minister of Bijan, serving from 1973 to 1977.

The Liberal Democratic Party returned to power in 1977, ending four years of Social Democratic-led government, but not before a Social Democratic, Arĝin Mekavisol, was elected President of Bijan.  The Social Democratic Party spent the next 32 years in opposition.

In the 2009 general election, both the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal National Party (which succeeded the Liberal Democratic Party in 1993) won 87 seats in the House, but poor results of the LNP's traditional coalition partner One Nation compared with the SDP's partners, Together for Bijan and the Bijani Greens, allowed them to form a majority government under Jakovo Ostaras.  The tri-party coalition was returned to office in the 2013 general election with an increased majority.

Electoral history

Election	Votes	%	±	Place	Seats	±	Status
1949	459,817	13.6	n/a	2nd	26 / 150	n/a	in opposition
1953	460,718	12.7	0.9	2nd	24 / 150	2	in opposition
1957	479,537	12.6	0.1	2nd	18 / 150	6	in opposition
1961	585,039	14.5	1.9	2nd	23 / 150	5	in opposition
1965	645,089	15.2	0.7	2nd	28 / 173	5	in opposition
1969	850,569	19.5	4.3	2nd	35 / 173	7	in opposition
1973	1,631,214	35.3	15.8	1st	62 / 173	27	in government
1977	1,077,258	22.5	12.8	2nd	39 / 173	23	in opposition
1981	975,811	18.8	3.7	2nd	37 / 173	2	in opposition
1985	839,705	15.5	3.3	2nd	28 / 173	9	in opposition
1989	1,024,134	17.9	2.4	2nd	33 / 173	5	in opposition
1993	1,190,547	20.1	2.2	2nd	37 / 173	4	in opposition
1997	1,738,322	28.2	8.1	2nd	71 / 245	34	in opposition
2001	1,691,123	26.5	1.7	2nd	67 / 245	4	in opposition
2005	1,991,315	30.3	3.8	2nd	77 / 245	10	in opposition
2009	2,258,452	33.1	2.8	1st	87 / 245	10	in government
2013	2,692,921	35.9	2.8	1st	92 / 245	5	in government