Asked to comment on President Stjepan Mesic's request to replace the POA chief, Sanader said that differences between him and the president regarding the case should be put in the context of election campaigning, and stressed that the joint adoption of decisions by the president and the prime minister in the appointment and replacement of senior intelligence officials was a good practice that would be continued.
Asked whether he had changed his opinion about the POA chief, Sanader told reporters that "there can be no unilateral solution" to that issue and that he had not changed his opinion. He added that President Mesic had tried to present him with an accomplished fact.
"I have not changed my mind. Under the law, the president of the state and the prime minister together make decisions on appointing and relieving of duty the POA chief. I expect the president of the state to act in line with good democratic practice, which means that we should request a report by the POA chief together and make a decision together. Nobody can present the president or the prime minister with an accomplished fact," Sanader said.
Asked whether he knew what the Council for National Security had established with regard to the case of reporter Helena Puljiz, the PM said he could not comment on that because the document constituted a state secret.
"However, for the sake of transparency of the case, I will request, if that is in line with the law, that the report be declassified and made public. It is in the interest of the Croatian public to know the full truth. After this is done, I and President Mesic have to find a joint solution. That is what the law requires," Sanader said.
Sanader also said that on Thursday evening he had been informed that charges had been pressed against a former secretary of President Mesic's office, Zeljko Bagic.