The Zagreb City Assembly adopted on Tuesday with a majority vote, without deputies of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS), conclusions about events concerning a controversial construction project in the historic centre of Zagreb - in Varsavska Street - asking, among other things, that Mayor Milan Bandic resign, that construction in Varsavska stop immediately, and that nearby Gunduliceva Street be unblocked.
The City Assembly urged the Construction and Urban Planning Ministry to re-examine its position about this case given the new circumstances, asking for a more precise definition of the procedure for establishing public interest.
Before the conclusions were adopted, deputies of the HDZ and the HSS left the session, saying they did not want to be part of the "Social Democratic Party's (SDP) dictate".
Deputies of the two parties take issue with the fact that the proposed conclusions read that the Assembly will request amendments to the law on referendum and launch the procedure for the impeachment Mayor bandic, but there was no mention of the Assembly being dissolved and early elections.
The HDZ and the HSS believe that the entire SDP is responsible for the situation in Varsavska Street and not only Mayor Bandic, which is why they believe it is necessary to dissolve the assembly and call early elections.
The conclusion to impeach the mayor has been modified at the request of the Croatian People's Party (HNS) and it was decided that the assembly would request Bandic's resignation.
The assembly said it supported the citizens' right to hold peaceful protests and that last Thursday, when activists demonstrated against the beginning of construction works in Varsavska, the police should not have acted only at the request of one city office.
