PAZIN, June 3 (Hina) - "The Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS) is leaving the six-party coalition and is no longer a member of the ruling coalition in the Republic of Croatia. Thus the IDS is going into the opposition," IDS President
Ivan Jakovcic said in Pazin on Sunday confirming the IDS Presidency's unanimous decision of Saturday to propose to the IDS Council that the party step down from the ruling six-party coalition.
PAZIN, June 3 (Hina) - "The Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS) is
leaving the six-party coalition and is no longer a member of the
ruling coalition in the Republic of Croatia. Thus the IDS is going
into the opposition," IDS President Ivan Jakovcic said in Pazin on
Sunday confirming the IDS Presidency's unanimous decision of
Saturday to propose to the IDS Council that the party step down from
the ruling six-party coalition.#L#
The Council will have to decide about it next week.
Jakovcic, however, was firmly confident that the Council would
definitely back the IDS Presidency's decision, which he personally
initiated.
"Otherwise, I will have to leave the post of the IDS President and I
would not like it," he added.
At a news conference which he held with his closest party aides,
Jakovcic said the IDS would not subvert the Government, but it would
point to problems trying to contribute to a higher-quality economic
policy of the Ivica Racan Cabinet.
Speaking of reasons for the IDS Presidency's latest decision, the
party boss said the main cause was "ignoring and devaluing of all
what the IDS has achieved," and claimed that political chase after
the IDS was going on.
According to him, the discontent of the IDS commenced with the case
of Istarska Banka, when "the incumbent authorities tried to
economically destroy citizens of Istria, through (the bank's)
blockade, and everything finished with the blackmailing of the IDS
that it should give up the Statute of Istria County."
Jakovcic assessed that the departure of the IDS "opens up for it
(IDS) a new political space for more active work in the Croatian
parliament and in Istria ... Thus, the party will be able to
implement its own political programme more resolutely." In this
context Jakovcic said he would leave the office of European
Integration Minister and return to his seat in the Sabor.
He added that by such an act he denied allegations of all who blamed
him for "trading with IDS ideals and values for the price of the
minister's position."
He also confirmed that Istria County Assembly would discuss
contentious parts of the Istrian Statute at its first coming
session, regardless of the on-going procedure in the Croatian
Constitutional Court.
Jakovcic announced that he would attend tomorrow's session of
chiefs of six ruling parties but only "to say good bye to them."
Asked about the direct reason which prompted them to leave the
ruling coalition, Jakovcic said the last straw was an attempt of
Zlatko Tomcic (the Croatian Peasants' Party President and Sabor
Speaker) at the last meeting of 'the Six' to blackmail IDS into
abandoning the Istrian Statute for the price of remaining among the
Six.
Commenting on the situation in the wake of the local elections, an
IDS Vice-President, Emil Soldatic, said the balance inside the
coalition was further disrupted, and added that it was only the IDS
to have offered and be still offering to other five parties from
'the Six' to form coalitions at the level of Istria County, towns
and municipalities in that area.
To corroborate his statement, Soldatic said IDS Presidency on
Saturday decided to offer corporation to the HNS (Croatian People's
Party) and the SDP (Social Democrats) at the county level.
(hina) ms