Leaders of three opposition parties -- the Croatian People's Party (HNS), the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Istrian Democratic Party (IDS) -- on Sunday reiterated their position that the incumbent government had lost credibility.
After the central celebration of his party's 20th anniversary, the HNS leader Radimir Cacic said that the current government was "totally used up" and that it had to step down following the developments surrounding the announced return of former Prime Minister Ivo Sanader to the parliament.
"The question is when this government should go away," Cacic said.
The HNS holds that the cabinet led by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) must offer to the President of the Republic the time for the elections and "the logical time for holding elections will be the first moment after the completion of the (accession) negotiations with the European Union in late March 2011," Cacic said in a response to reporters' questions whether new parliamentary elections should be held as soon as possible.
He said that the early elections do not mean "going shopping" but they happen when the government no longer has a ruling majority.
Cacic also ruled out any agreement of his party with Sanader upon his taking over his parliamentary seat.
Cacic reiterated criticism of the government's economic policy and the revised budget for 2010.
Asked by reporters when the SDP will start collecting signatures for launching an initiative for no-confidence motion in the parliament against the cabinet of Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, the SDP chief Zoran Milanovic, said that this would be at the beginning of the next week.
Milanovic said that launching the initiative required one fifth of signatures of all parliamentary deputies and that all partners of his party would sing the initiative.
Asked by reporters how a majority necessary to topple the government would be secured, the SDP cheif said that this was a political game.
"This government has brought disgrace upon the country, and this must cease," he said adding that the SDP would not give up its initiative.
The IDS leader, Ivan Jakovcic said that his party would support putting on the parliament's agenda a motion of no confidence in the incumbent government.
Both Jakovcic and Milanovic said this after attending the HNS celebration in Zagreb.
