ZAGREB, July 8 (Hina) - Representatives of the Social Democrat Party (SDP) parliamentary bench on Monday morning relayed to Croatian President Stjepan Mesic that the SDP supported the possible appointment of the resigned Premier Ivica
Racan at the post of the new prime minister designate.
ZAGREB, July 8 (Hina) - Representatives of the Social Democrat
Party (SDP) parliamentary bench on Monday morning relayed to
Croatian President Stjepan Mesic that the SDP supported the
possible appointment of the resigned Premier Ivica Racan at the
post of the new prime minister designate. #L#
President Mesic commenced his consultations on the future PM
designate on Monday morning with the talks with SDP
representatives, Mato Arlovic and Milanka Opacic.
After that, Mesic will receive representatives of the Croatian
Democratic Union (HDZ), and at noon Croatian Peasant Party (HSS)
officials. The schedule of the consultations was determined on the
basis of the number of parliamentary seats each of the parties
holds.
After the talks with the head of state, SDP MP Mato Arlovic told
reporters that the SDP proposed Racan as the new PM designate in
accordance to the support which 84 parliamentarians expressed to
the resigned premier.
Arlovic said his party believed that the ruling coalition still
existed as a significant number of Croatian Social Liberal Party
(HSLS) members put their signatures on the list of 84 MPs who backed
Racan.
The SDP delegation informed President Mesic that this party was
ready to support the updating of a programme, on the basis of which
they won the 2000 elections, in connection to the priorities which
should be done.
SDP advocated the accelerated reforms in the judiciary, military
and security services.
"Croatia is not in a crisis, although the government has stepped
down, but its resignation is a result of disagreement inside one of
the ruling parties and not of a crisis of the government," Arlovic
said.
Asked why the SDP leader Racan had not come to the consultations
with President Mesic, Arlovic answered that the SDP chief would
have an occasion for the meeting with President Mesic upon his
appointment as the PM designate, in which the SDP firmly believed.
Arlovic expects that the new government will win a vote of
confidence in the parliament by 1 August.
(hina) ms