"The party's statute provides that intra-party elections are held every four years, and last such elections that covered all levels, from the local branches to the party's presidency, were held in the spring of 2008. That means that new intra-party elections will begin within the next month and a half," Bacic told reporters after a meeting of the HDZ county branch in the southern coastal city of Split.

"We met this evening to analyse our election result in Constituency No. 10, to give support to the party president and the party leadership in preserving the party's unity at this difficult moment, and to move on to intra-party elections," Bacic said.

Bacic headed the HDZ slate in Constituency No. 10 where the party won 5 seats in the national parliament, one of which was allocated to their coalition partner, the Croatian Civic Party (HGS) of Split Mayor Zeljko Kerum.