ZAGREB, Sept 18 (Hina) - The presidents of the Istrian Democratic Alliance (IDS), Croatian People's Party (HNS) and Liberal Party (LS) on Wednesday told Hina that a possible coalition could be formed between these three parties prior
to the elections, including the Libra (Liberal Democrats that emerged after the fall out with the Croatian Social Liberal Party) as well as regional parties like the Popular Civic Party (PGS) and the Slavonian - Baranja Croatian Party.
ZAGREB, Sept 18 (Hina) - The presidents of the Istrian Democratic
Alliance (IDS), Croatian People's Party (HNS) and Liberal Party
(LS) on Wednesday told Hina that a possible coalition could be
formed between these three parties prior to the elections,
including the Libra (Liberal Democrats that emerged after the fall
out with the Croatian Social Liberal Party) as well as regional
parties like the Popular Civic Party (PGS) and the Slavonian -
Baranja Croatian Party. #L#
As they said, together these parties would strengthen the civic
political option for the next parliamentary election.
President of HNS Vesna Pusic confirmed claims of a possible future
alliance which one of the founders of the newly established Libra,
Goran Granic stated earlier.
"The principle attitude of HNS is to approach the parliamentary
election, but a possible coalition with parties supporting civic
central parties and HNS will discuss this with the LS, Libra and IDS
as well as regional parties," Pusic said.
She added that official talks on a coalition had not been held yet
and the "HNS has long wished to strengthen the civil political
option which we believe covers one-third of the electorate. A
fairly strong political option needs to be presented with this
objective in mind and the HNS sees itself as the matrix of such an
option," Pusic said.
She pointed out that the idea was to reflect on how many parties
since 1990 until the present had associated into coalitions to win
votes at elections. We do not claim that we will win 30 percent of
the vote at the election because this depends on the credibility of
that political option before voters, however, these parties have
covered that percentage of the electorate.
The president of LS, Zlatko Kramaric, voiced almost identical ideas
except that his party would be the centre of the coalition, Kramaric
said.
Asked whether the struggle for the head spot in the coalition would
destroy it, Kramaric replied that this is in fact why the leaders of
the parties that intend to form the coalition need to be responsible
to the electorate so that they do not fall apart because of any
battle for the leading position.
The president of LS believes that what is most important is to stop
the existing political polarisation and exclusivity of the left and
right. He agrees with Pusic that a coalition of smaller
parliamentary parties could cover 30 percent of the electorate.
According to Kramaric, each time parties formed a coalition they
were rewarded by the electorate. This was so in 1995 and 2000.
He also confirmed that informal talks had begun about the
coalition.
Vice president of IDS Damir Kajin said on behalf of his party that
these parties would form a coalition prior to the election with the
leftist political bloc including regional parties, however, IDS
was also prepared to form a coalition with the Social Democratic
Party (SDP). There is no need to exclude anyone in advance, he
added.
Commenting on the possibility of obtaining 30 percent of the
electorate, as Pusic and Kramaric claimed, Kajin said that they
first needed to see what processes were involved at the moment.
Kajin believes that a "leftist civic option is the only one that can
offer some form of peaceful atmosphere, without hate, division,
exclusivity and adventure. IDS is not prepared to form coalitions
with right wing parties including the HSLS."
According to Kajin, a civic option should be presented at the
election. This was necessary as soon as the HSLS fell apart, he
said, now ratings have fallen more than ever for some parties.
(hina) sp lml