Social Democratic Party (SDP) official Zeljko Sabo said on Thursday he had temporarily suspended his terms as member of the party's presidency and head of the Vukovar-Srijem County branch, announcing that he would not reactivate his seat on the presidency.

Sabo received 3,044 votes for his bid to become a presidency member at a recent internal party election. That provoked discontent among some presidency members who argued that the SDP would have no right to criticise the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) for corruption if they themselves had a person who had served prison time for political corruption sitting on the presidency.

Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the presidency early this month, SDP president Pedja Grbin said that Sabo had been given 15 days to consider suspending his membership, which he did.

Sabo has written to the presidency members informing them that he is putting his rights and obligations under the party’s statute on hold.

Apart from having served six months in prison, which makes him rehabilitated under the law, Sabo is also facing charges of abuse of position and powers for allegedly embezzling funds intended for summer holidays for Vukovar children.