ZAGREB, Oct 1 (Hina) - The Social Democratic Party (SDP) leadershipwill tomorrow notify the SDP Main Committee of negotiations with thePeasant Party (HSS) and ask this body to allow the conclusion of acoalition agreement during this
month with that opposition party aheadof the coming local elections at the level of counties. Negotiationson the SDP-HSS coalition in municipalities and towns will be conductedlater, Tonino Picula of the SDP told a news conference on Friday.
ZAGREB, Oct 1 (Hina) - The Social Democratic Party (SDP) leadership
will tomorrow notify the SDP Main Committee of negotiations with the Peasant
Party (HSS) and ask this body to allow the conclusion of a coalition agreement
during this month with that opposition party ahead of the coming local
elections at the level of counties. Negotiations on the SDP-HSS coalition in
municipalities and towns will be conducted later, Tonino Picula of the SDP told
a news conference on Friday.Asked about the reactions of the two parties' members, Picula said
"there is optimism, and in some cases even enthusiasm" in the largest part of
local memberships.
The SDP is also aware that, together with the HSS, it will not be able
to win the elections in all electoral units. The SDP leadership should now
define the future cooperation with the Croatian People's Party (HNS) in light
of the fact that nobody from the HNS has sent any official proposal for the
start of coalition negotiations and the fact that it is still not known whether
the HNS, Libra and the Liberal Party (LS) will merge and in which form,
Regarding the city of Zagreb, the HNS is the main partner of the SDP,
and Picula believes this will not bother the HSS.