All members will vote for the new party president and, if no candidate receives the majority, the second round will be held one week later.
After Tomislav Karamarko resigned on Tuesday as HDZ president, party bodies met on Thursday to agree on the procedure for electing new party president before the early parliamentary elections which are expected to be held in early September, reports Index.hr on June 23, 2016.
After the meeting of the party presidency, deputy party president Milijan Brkić spoke to reporters. He confirmed that the elections would be held on 17 July. “We have also made a decision that elections will be held according to the ‘one member one vote’ principle. We will vote only for the party president and I am sure we will choose the best candidate who will represent HDZ and become Prime Minister-designate after the parliamentary elections in the autumn. HDZ will certainly win and prevent the return to power of SDP”, said Brkić.
He also announced some changes to the conditions which candidates have to fulfil. They will again have to collect 5,000 signatures, but each member of the party will be able to give his or her signature to as many candidates as they want.
Brkić did not want to discuss who the candidates would be, but he did not rule out the possibility that he might be one of them. “A lot of people have said they are interested, and it is always good to have an ambition. I believe the candidates will face off with their manifestos, visions and ideas. The most important match is the one in the fall”, he said. “Time will tell”, said Brkić asked whether he himself would be a candidate.
“The ideal president is a person who will first enjoy the confidence of our members, and then of a broader spectrum of Croatian citizens. I do not want to talk about myself, let others talk about me. Our future president will be the Prime Minister-designate, he or she will face off against the most negative person on the Croatian political scene, SDP president Zoran Milanović”, said Brkić.
He added he would like for more than one candidate to take part in the elections. Brkić also commented on the possible continuation of cooperation with HDZ’s current coalition partners. “Our coalition was the relative winner in the last elections and we are working together with our partners. We will continue with the negotiations, and we will discuss who exactly will be a part of it”, concluded Brkić.
