Croatia's strongest opposition party, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), on Saturday began internal elections to choose, by May 5, leaders of the party's local and regional branches and delegates who would elect the new HDZ leadership at a convention scheduled for May 15.
Of 2,200 delegates to attend the election convention, 900 will be chosen by county branches and 574 by town branches, 300 will represent the party's youth organisation, 70 will come from the Katarina Zrinski women's association and 45 from the Dr Franjo Tudjman founding club. About 200 will attend as members of the HDZ Presidency, members of Parliament, or as members of the party's National Council or Main Committee.
The largest number of delegates will come from the HDZ's Split-Dalmatia County branch (91), followed by Brod-Posavina County (76), Vukovar-Srijem County (73), Osijek-Baranja County and the City of Zagreb (61 each). The smallest number will come from Istria County (16 delegates) and Medjimurje County (10).
Candidacies for HDZ president have so far been announced by the party's current leader Jadranka Kosor, her deputy Darko Milinovic, Tomislav Karamarko, Milan Kujundzic, Domagoj Ivan Milosevic, and Drago Prgomet.
Announcing her candidacy, Kosor said she thought she had done a lot during her term both as the party's president and as prime minister, citing an investigation of the HDZ on corruption charges and the economic crisis. She said she had carried "a tremendous burden" and endured it all.
Milinovic, former Health Minister, said that now that the EU accession process was over, the HDZ should address other challenges, such as globalisation. He said that the HDZ needed a new and modern leadership that had answers to new challenges. "I'm one of those who think that we must stop creating a personality cult in the HDZ," he stressed.
Milosevic, former Deputy Prime Minister in charge of investments, noted in his programme that the HDZ should become a modern Christian Democratic party that would be forward looking while at the same time preserving Croatian traditional values. He said that he aimed to restore confidence in the party with new people and new initiatives.
Prgomet, a medical doctor, said it was time for a new leadership and a new way of work in the HDZ. He said that if elected he would lead the party responsibly, competently and victoriously.
Karamarko, former Interior Minister, said he wanted to restore self-respect both to the HDZ and to Croatia, and that he would fight for "a new independence of Croatia", primarily on the economic front. He called on the party's membership to demonstrate unity.
The head of Zagreb's Dubrava Clinic Hospital, Milan Kujundzic, said he was running for HDZ president for the sake of a better future for Croatia and its young people. He said that the party was in a deep crisis and was facing a risk of being marginalised.
