Parliamentary Committee on Elections and Appointments refused to nominate former Interior Minister Ranko Ostojić (SDP) for the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Internal Affairs and National Security on February 5, 2016, Večernji list reports. Seven members of the ruling coalition voted against his nomination while only three opposition members voted in favour. One of those who voted against was Ivica Mišić from MOST who later refused to explain why he voted against. He told journalists that they should rather speak with the president of MOST Parliamentary Caucus who might know more about the reasons why he voted against. SDP is now expected to propose a new candidate who will chair the Committee for Internal Affairs and National Security since the leadership of this committee usually belongs to the opposition.
Chairman of the Committee for Elections and Appointments Franjo Lucić accepted that SDP has the right to propose a candidate, but said they did not agree that it should be Ranko Ostojić. “Ranko Ostojić is not an appropriate person. In his recent statements, he has expressed such level of aggression that we believe he should not be chairman of the Committee”, explained Lucić. He dismissed speculation that Ostojić was not acceptable to them because of his past experience as the chairman of the same committee.
“If we had not been frightened by him during the last four years when he was the Interior Minister, I think we would not be afraid of him now, first of all because we are all responsible and honourable people. My message to Ostojić and to anyone involved in a witch-hunt is to stop doing that because no one in the Patriotic Coalition is afraid of them”, said Lucić.
“He did not perform his duties in the former government as well as was expected. We have analyzed everything he did. The time will show there are some other reasons which we cannot publicly disclose at this time which would demonstrate that he really is not up to what is expected of a chairman of such important committee”, said Pero Ćorić (HSP AS).
