Racan told the press it was correct that he had initiated cooperation with the HDZ in connection with a strategic national goal, admission to the European Union, but underlined that there was still no agreement or cooperation between the two parties on many other issues.
"Yes to cooperation, no to coalition," he said, adding the SDP would continue to vehemently clash with the HDZ over numerous economic, social and other issues.
Racan said it was not correct that currently he cooperated better with HDZ leader Ivo Sanader than with HNS leader Vesna Pusic. As for Pusic's claims earlier today that the SDP and the HDZ were in a coalition, he said he had no intention of commenting on her party.
"I'm refraining from harsh words, which cannot be said of the HNS. We don't instruct the HNS about what to do or how to behave, we don't interfere with its personnel policy, which isn't the case with the other party."
Racan said the SDP did not perceive the disagreements with the HNS as a conflict or the party as competition. He added the HNS evidently perceived the SDP as an obstacle to its ambitions.
"The observations from the HNS are a storm in a teacup and I hope that we will establish a hierarchy of interests in cooperation with the HNS and do everything not to undermine the major mutual interests," said Racan.
The SDP today sent into Parliament amendments to the Conflict of Interest Act under which all public officials would be obliged to state in their declarations of assets how they acquired them as well as the source of the money used to buy them.
Racan said the amendments would make the current parliamentary war with commissions of inquiry unnecessary because they would show that not all officials were the same, "that there are those who have become rich, so the question is how".