After HDZ yesterday decided against forming a national coalition, HSP AS breaks all links with HDZ.
HSP AS general secretary Pero Ćorić said on Tuesday that his party would end cooperation with HDZ at local and regional government levels and that officials of his party who would not respect that decision would be ejected from party membership, reports Večernji List on July 26, 2016.
“As of today, HSP AS has terminated all connections with HDZ, just like Croatia terminated all connections with the former Yugoslavia. All coalitions will be terminated, and that includes towns, municipalities, 12 counties and the City of Zagreb”, said Ćorić, adding that all party officials who would not comply with the decision would be expelled from the party and that they could then join HDZ.
Ćorić said that the party presidency held a telephone session on Monday evening and unanimously concluded that it was not acceptable to cooperate partially in just some parliamentary constituencies, without an agreement on permanent political cooperation.
HDZ president Andrej Plenković said on Monday that HDZ would go to the polls at the upcoming parliamentary elections alone, although it would cooperate with individual partners in certain constituencies. HSP AS was the only partner which insisted on a national coalition, he said.
Ćorić claims that HDZ’s offer to his party was much better than what was offered to other partners. He said that HSLS would get just two safe seats for giving HDZ support in five constituencies. “Last night, I received calls that HDZ was ready to give up on Ruža Tomašić if she was a problem for us. We are surprised that HDZ talks with parties that have a zero percent popularity such as the Croatian Conservative Party, HRID and Croatian Dawn”, said Ćorić.
“HDZ leadership is blinded by red carpets of Brussels”, said Ćorić, alluding to the fact that Plenković is a member of European Parliament. “If HDZ does not win the elections, they will return to Brussels. This is a proof that even they do not believe in the election victory”, he said.
Ćorić stressed that the Patriotic Coalition would continue with HSP AS as the driving force of the coalition. “This is the only way to stop the return of neo-communist Zoran Milanović to power”, concluded Ćorić. He said that HDZ “proved that it was no different from the competition”, and that the new HDZ president Plenković and the entire party leadership were imposed by the left-liberal media.
