Former Prime Minister Ivo Sanader's request to activate his mandate as a member of the national parliament is and will remain to be an inappropriate and unsuccessful attempt to carry out a coup against the parliamentary majority, the ruling coalition and the government, a Deputy Parliament Speaker and vice president of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party, Vladimir Seks, said on Friday.
Seks accused the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) of having developed "synchronised activities and fraternity" with Sanader.
Arsen Bauk of the SDP said the SDP did not bring Sanader to parliament and that the party had nothing in common with the ex prime minister.
The two were guests in a Croatian Radio political talk show.
Seks declined to speculate about the position of other political parties towards Sanader should he decide to return to parliament, stressing however, that "as far as the HDZ is concerned, should he appear in parliament, he will be given a reception he deserves".
Asked if it was true that the ruling majority in parliament will stall the voting on Sanader's mandate, Seks said he did not wish to speculate about the course and outcome of the session of the parliamentary Credentials and Privileges Commission (MIP).
Seks reiterated that Sanader had already frozen his parliamentary mandate twice so far - the first time because he could not perform his parliamentary duties at the time he was the prime minister and second time for personal reasons, after he stepped down as the prime minister.
"This would be his third attempt to activate his mandate. This is the law and we shall see how the law will be applied," he said.
"The key issue is what kind of political consequences the attempt to activate Ivo Sanader's mandate will carry. His request is an attempt to create a relative critical mass to carry out a coup against the government and the ruling coalition," Seks is convinced.
Seks claims Sanader seriously wants to jeopardise the government's work and cause early election which, according to Seks, would result in stopping Croatia in the final stage of its EU membership negotiations, slowing down the country's economic recovery and causing a blow to the fight against corruption.
"The SDP and Sanader have shown a big fraternity and understanding (for each other), the SDP has openly sided with Sanader, claiming that Sanader's statements were credible and that those made by Prime Minister (Jadranka) Kosor were not. Until recently, Sanader was the most hated person in SDP and now they live in love and harmony," Seks said.
Seks claims that Sanader's request to take his parliamentary seat should be viewed in the context of the attack on Chief State prosecutor Mladen Bajic and Interior Minister Tomislav Karamarko, which is aimed at stopping the fight against corruption.
Seks expressed conviction that there would be no disruptions among the 83 deputies, members of the ruling majority, stressing however that it was important for the (HDZ) party to remain unified not only because of Sanader, but also to encounter attempts by the opposition to come to power as soon as possible.
Bauk of the SDP once again refuted claims about the SDP and Sanader's joint activities.
