"The HDZ will have its presidential candidate, and his or her name will be known soon," he said in reply to questions from the press during a visit to Zapresic near Zagreb. He added the decision on the HDZ presidential candidate would be made by the party presidency.
He refuted information that, according to an HDZ-commissioned poll, 75 percent of the party's supporters are in favour of nominating Andrija Hebrang the presidential candidate. Sanader said the poll was conducted to see how citizens saw the future president of Croatia.
"The poll is being processed but it backed the opinion that the HDZ should have its presidential candidate and (indicated) what he or she should be like, which the party's top bodies will now consider," said Sanader.
Asked if it was true that the Foreign Ministry had set up a team to prepare for arbitration with Slovenia on border issues, Sanader said the ministry's preparations for possible arbitration did not rule out the possibility of a bilateral agreement being reached on the matter.
"The preparations being conducted by the Foreign Ministry are preparations which every serious country which knows how to protect and promote its interests would be conducting, regardless of... whether we'll find a solution bilaterally."
Sanader said he wished to meet with Slovenia's new prime minister, adding bilateral agreement should be given a chance given that Croatia and Slovenia were two friendly countries.
"If that fails to yield a solution that is to mutual satisfaction, then we'll propose arbitration which would be binding for both countries," he said.
"Certainly, each country will present the strongest arguments for arbitration, which is the Foreign Ministry's task," Sanader said, adding the arguments Croatia would present in bilateral talks would be the same as those in arbitration.
Asked for a comment on media allegations that the man seen at Brela last summer resembling Ante Gotovina, the retired general wanted by the Hague war crimes tribunal, was not Gotovina but a lookalike Italian tourist, Sanader said he would be able to comment only after being fully informed of the case.
Sanader visited Zapresic to lay a wreath on the crypt of the Jelacic family on the 203rd birth anniversary of Viceroy Josip Jelacic.
Speaking of Jelacic's significance in Croatian history, he said different regimes either celebrated him or removed monuments honouring him. Sanader stressed that Jelacic nurtured two big ideas, Croatia's territorial integrity and its inclusion in 18th century Europe, which he added made him both a Croat and a European.
Speaking of the European Union, Sanader said it was "a club of the most progressive countries in the world" to which Croatia belonged.
"We are not entering Europe to lose national sovereignty but to preserve it," he said, adding that 10 years ago it was inconceivable that the leading countries of the eastern bloc would join the EU.
Sanader also opened a golf course in Zapresic, saying that as a tourist country wishing to enter Europe, Croatia must have golf courses.