"Mr. Milanovic's election best suits the HDZ because neither Mr. Milanovic nor the other three candidates have the courage, competence and ideas to govern the state," Jandrokovic told reporters in the HDZ headquarters on Saturday.
He added that Milanovic was supporting a socialist economist (Ljubo Jurcic) as a candidate for prime minister although "he demonstrated his incompetence for two years in Racan's government that lost elections over its incompetence and indecisiveness".
In an interview with Hina, Party of Rights (HSP) leader Anto Djapic congratulated Milanovic on his election as SDP president, stating that Milanovic was facing a lot of work considering the expectations of his supporters.
Djapic said he was glad that the campaign to elect the SDP president was over because it had attracted huge media attention to the detriment of other parties.
A vice-president of the Peasant Party (HSS), Bozidar Pankretic, told Hina that Milanovic was one of the few politicians who were not politically active in the 1990s, and congratulated him on his election. The HSS official added that the beginning of the succession of generations on the political scene was positive.
People's Party (HNS) leader Vesna Pusic said she was glad that the SDP had elected its new president, adding that she hoped the cooperation between the HNS and the SDP would continue.
Congratulating Milanovic and his party, Social Liberal Party (HSLS) leader Djurdja Adlesic told Hina that Milanovic was a member of a new generation and that the SDP was now "a different party".
Istrian Democratic Party (IDS) president Damir Kajin told Hina that "Milanovic can win the parliamentary elections, although it is certain that the HDZ won't lose them without struggle".
He added that it was important for the SDP to prevent internal rifts now that one of its groups had won party elections and the other one had lost them.
President Stjepan Mesic said the SDP's election convention had provided an opportunity for the party to present its platform and people.
"If the new party president forms a team including the people who ran for the post of party leader, if he makes them his associates, that will be a big opportunity for the SDP," Mesic told Croatian Radio.
Asked if he was surprised by the victory of the youngest candidate, Mesic said that he was not very much surprised because "people want changes and new faces" and that "Milanovic has shown great competence and skills".
Commenting on the upcoming parliamentary elections, he said that none of the parties was certain to form a new government on its own.