"The policy of waiting, which characterises the HDZ-led government, is unacceptable to us. Croatia is slowing down and stagnating in all aspects of state administration and government," Antunovic said at a press conference in Zagreb.
Antunovic said that an early parliamentary election was not her party's priority, adding that SDP leader Ivica Racan's statement about the need for an early election to be held in 2006 was meant to emphasise that time was passing without the HDZ doing anything to raise living standards.
"We will not initiate an election until we estimate that Croatia is going headlong to ruin. It is stagnating at the moment, but still functioning," Antunovic said.
Recapping this year, the vice-president of the leading opposition party levelled a series of criticisms against the ruling party for lack of competence, absence of an economic vision and reform projects, undemocratic behaviour, political pressure on the media, and corruption.
Citing the most serious omissions of the government, she said that poverty was rising, there was no economic activity, health care services were declining and the number of unemployed people in the country remained at 300,000 as was two years ago.
Antunovic also saw the government's incompetence in a growing number of its decisions being later withdrawn. "We find the government's habit of eating its own words unacceptable. The number of decisions the government made and later withdrew exceeds the number of those that actually stuck."
The SDP vice-president said that Croatia was becoming less and less democratic as a result of the HDZ's attacks on the media, primarily national broadcaster HRT, in order to put them under its control.
Asked to comment on the situation in Sisak where the SDP mayor had been given a vote of no confidence, Antunovic said that it was a typical example of an aggressive takeover against the will of the electorate.