The Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) will run in the next parliamentary elections on its own, and any post-election coalition with the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), which is now in power, is out of the question, HSLS leader Darinko Kosor said at a press conference in the eastern city of Osijek on Saturday.
Kosor said that his party would hold rallies in all constituencies by the end of the year and was ready for elections, which he said should be held as soon as possible to "stop this agony in Croatia that has been going on for too long."
He said that the HSLS would hold a meeting in Zagreb on November 20 which would be attended by 2,400 party delegates. "Our aim is to strengthen the Liberal forces in Croatia, because neither the left nor the right wing has proved to be capable of leading Croatia out of the crisis."
Speaking of the proposed 2011 budget, Kosor said that he was certain that there was no way GDP would rise 1.5 per cent next year, as claimed by the Prime Minister, but that on the contrary it could be expected to continue to fall. "It's illogical that Economy Minister Djuro Popijac and Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor have different views on this issue, which only shows that the present government cannot lead Croatia out of the crisis."
The HSLS advocates radical cuts in expenditures, including welfare benefits, and insists that attention be directed at economic development and, consequently, job creation.
The HSLS leader called on all citizens to vote and to respond more resolutely to the difficult situation in the country, especially with regard to corruption. He said that they did not want to provoke unrest, but to make it clear that it was time that the accumulated problems started to be dealt with more resolutely.
