Parliament Vice-President Vladimir Seks said on Friday evening that constant accusations from the opposition that Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor and the leadership of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) were criminals and thieves were proof that the opposition was behind the anti-government protests that have been staged in major cities over the last 10 days.
"After failing to topple the government in Parliament, they started using a new tactic by accusing us on a daily basis of being thieves, criminals and gangsters," Seks said at a ceremony marking the 21st anniversary of foundation of the HDZ branch in Virovitica, 100 kilometres east of Zagreb.
Seks said that the incitement of popular rage and hatred of the HDZ resulted in street protests. He added that "the murderous rage of hooligans" was incited by the leadership of the strongest opposition party, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), led by Zoran Milanovic and Zeljko Jovanovic.
Seks said that the SDP was using the hooligans to do a job for them, namely to overthrow the HDZ from power at a critical stage of negotiations with the European Union, and that the proof of it was the burning of the EU flag because the SDP was afraid of EU entry.
Seks called on the HDZ's membership to close ranks because "special political warfare is intensifying."
Foreign Affairs and European Integration Minister Gordan Jandrokovic said that rioters "mean no good to Croatia" and "are trying hard to prevent the HDZ from completing the EU accession negotiations."
The Mayor of Virovitica and chairman of the local HDZ branch, Ivica Kirin, called on the HDZ's membership to put up a joint fight against corruption and against "those who consider the State to be their own private property so they end up where they belong."
