The function of the President of the Republic has been reduced to that of a decorative president, Kovacevic told a news conference in Zagreb.
He said he would advocate the introduction of a semi-presidential political system so that the head of state could have absolute powers at least over security services and the army.
Kovacevic also criticised incumbent President Stjepan Mesic for what he called the devaluing of the function of the President, and accused Mesic of having approved the takeover of the Sisak Ironworks by the Russian Mechel company and of promoting the Druzba Adria project for the integration of oil pipelines to run from Russia through several European countries to the Adriatic coast.
Kovacevic also criticised Jadranka Kosor, the candidate of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), for her slogan "People Before Politics", calling it inappropriate in light of the fact that Kosor had spent tens of millions of kuna for jumbo posters, he said.
The HKDU candidate said he was dissatisfied with the media coverage of presidential campaigns and accused the media of favouring Mesic and Kosor.
Kovacevic condemned the destruction of the Josip Broz Tito monument in Kumrovec, stating that it could not have been done by a Croat.
"This was certainly masterminded by Serbian intelligence agents and KOS (the counter-intelligence agency of the former Yugoslavia), who are trying to slow down Croatia's progress towards the EU," the HKDU candidate said.