Speaking at the start of the information convention of his party in Zagreb on Sunday morning, Racan said that he would personally convey the congratulations later in the day when he would take part in ceremonies of the inauguration of the motorway connecting the country's north and south.
Addressing more than SDP 400 deputies at the Zagreb convention, the SDP chief recalled that the construction of this highway started in 2001 when he was the Prime Minister of the coalition government.
Racan criticised the Ivo Sanader cabinet for what he called its failure to launch any other similar projects of strategic importance. The chief of the strongest opposition party accused the incumbent government of not having any development and economic vision in carrying out the state policy.
Racan called on the party's members to invest more efforts so that the SDP could be supported by 33 percent of voters at the next parliamentary elections and win them.
He said that therefore it was important to develop local self-government where the SDP is now in power.
The convention adopted a report on the party's work over the past 12 months.
Some deputies voiced dissatisfaction which what they called unprincipled coalitions which some local SDP branches forged with parties that did not share similar political platforms.
One of deputies called on the SDP leadership to stick to the left-of-centre orientations, or the party could be punished at the next elections, he said.