ZAGREB, Nov 28 (Hina) - Social Democratic Party (SDP) president Ivica Racan has said that in his capacity as incumbent Croatian premier he will insist on the formation of a new government as soon as possible in the interest of the
country's political stability.
ZAGREB, Nov 28 (Hina) - Social Democratic Party (SDP) president
Ivica Racan has said that in his capacity as incumbent Croatian
premier he will insist on the formation of a new government as soon
as possible in the interest of the country's political stability.
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He has added that he wonders how the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ)
will lead the country "on the basis of announcements" from that
party which Racan described as not serious and contradictory.
The SDP leader gave this statement to reporters after Friday's
meeting of representatives of the party's county and city branches,
who analysed the SDP's performance on Sunday's parliamentary
elections.
Responding to media reports that SDP members showed
dissatisfaction with the party leadership's work, Racan said that
it was only one SDP member, Romano Mestrovic, who levelled
criticism against the party leaders. Racan added Mestrovic had
already distanced himself from the SDP.
According to Racan, the party was content with the election's
results which, he said, testified to the party's strength. He added
that the party's members were aware that they had lost the ballot if
coming to power was the criterion.
Responding to criticism of Croatian People Party (HNS) leader Vesna
Pusic, who insisted that the SDP should try to form a government,
Racan said that it was not realistic. "If she still wants it, she
should try (to form a new government) so that Vesna Pusic gets
discredited and not the SDP," Racan said.
He went on to say that "Racan has not given up" and that SDP members
are not afraid of purges or the new government.
Racan ascribed the SDP's defeat at the elections to the fact that
two partners had left the coalition government, and his party had to
carry out unpopular reforms.
"We had a more difficult task, the post-war situation, refugees,
war crimes, the Hague-based Tribunal, we were alone, a lack of
understanding was everywhere, especially in the media," Racan
said.
He praised the SDP-led coalition government for neutralising the
radical right in Croatia and the fact that possible crises in the
government or early elections could no longer assume the character
of a dramatic crisis in the country, as it was during the autocratic
rule of the late President Franjo Tudjman.
(hina) ms