Before the vote, opposition deputies walked out of the parliament hall, dissatisfied with the fact that parliament speaker Vladimir Seks did not grant their request that deputies vote individually on the opposition's proposal.
At the same time, Luka Bebic of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) asked that deputies vote by a show of hand, so the session chairman concluded that deputies should vote on how they would vote on the proposal.
After a 10-minute break which was requested by the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Zlatko Tomcic of the Peasant Party (HSS) asked that deputies vote individually on how they would vote on the proposal, to which Bebic moved that deputies vote by a show of hands.
"I don't understand the purpose of this show of strength. For the first time in the history of the Croatian state the session chairman has refused a request for individual voting. I hope that this is not an introduction into new restrictions of deputies' rights," SDP leader Ivica Racan told Seks.
Opposition deputies then left the parliament hall, with the exception of Anto Djapic and Vlado Jukic of the Party of Rights (HSP) and Vilim Herman of Libra. After deputies were counted and it was established that 79 were present, two more than needed for the quorum, the HSP deputies and Herman left the parliament hall too.
The session chairman then put to vote the proposal to relieve Zuzul of duty, for which none of the present deputies voted. Seks did not ask the deputies to state individually who was against the proposal and who supported it.
In his closing statement to the deputies before the vote, Zuzul repeated that he had not used his position to acquire gain for his family and called on the Commission for Conflict of Interest to investigate his case as soon as it started functioning again.
He expressed confidence that the commission would establish that there was nothing dishonourable in his actions.
Vesna Pusic of the Croatian People's Party (HNS) said on behalf of the three parties which requested Zuzul's replacement that Zuzul failed to explain why he had made false statements on several occasions, only to change them later.
"It is a fact that the ruling party has been more involved in investigating previous cases than in what was stated in the proposal for a vote of no confidence, which proves that they lack arguments to defend the minister," Pusic said.
The parliament continues its session on Friday.