IF ELECTED PRESIDENT OF CROATIA GRANIC TO STEP OUT OF HDZ

ZAGREB, Jan 13 (Hina) - The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) Presidential candidate, Mate Granic, on Thursday withdrew his membership from the HDZ Presidency and resigned to all of his duties in the party. Granic announced this at a press conference on Thursday. He said he would remain a HDZ member, but in case he is elected President, he would withdraw his membership from the party and would become the president of all Croatian citizens. He confirmed that his leaving the HDZ at this moment would mean the cancellation of his presidential candidacy, and stressed that he would remain a member of the party because he did not wish to make a distance between HDZ voters who, along with other voters, were a great support to him which gave him the strength to continue his presidential campaign. Harsh media conflicts of HDZ senior officials, which did not stop after an agreement reached in the HDZ Head Committee, made Granic resign to all functions in the party. The behaviour of the HDZ Presidency, which is absolutely unacceptable and undoubtedly contrary to its decisions, contributed to the intraparty conflict and significantly damaged the future of the party as well as my chances at the elections, Granic said. Granic informed Vladimir Seks and Drago Krpina of his decision earlier this morning. "Even though many members of the Presidency are my friends, I had to make this decision", Granic said. In Granic's opinion every member of the HDZ Presidency is politically responsible for the fact that he was not ensured a peaceful presidential campaign. He stressed he did nothing to provoke conflicts in the HDZ Presidency adding he had been a loyal member. He told reporters it would have been more rational if he reached such a decision a month ago, adding, however, that at this moment he was gaining full freedom to act. Granic said he would entirely personalise his campaign, adding he believed that his individuality would only now come to the fore. (hina) it