After prime minister’s invitation, veterans groups start proposing their own candidates
Wartime commanders of the defence of Vukovar and several veterans associations have proposed Branko Borković as the new veterans affairs minister or, at least, the deputy minister. They say that Borković has proven himself during the war and that he was the last commander of the defence of Vukovar. They particularly emphasize the fact that Borković as early as 1992 established the welfare system for all soldiers, which was the basis for the Veterans Ministry, report Večernji List and tportal.hr on March 7, 2016.
“Due to all these reasons, we believe that Borković is an ideal person who can lead the Ministry or be part of the team that will lead the Ministry”, said the president of the Croatian Association of Prisoners of Serbian Concentration Camps Danijel Rehak.
One of the commanders of the Vukovar defence Ivo Ćurić said that Borković was a very honest person and that he was the commander of the best unit in Croatian history. He added that Borković had agreed to this initiative and is ready to take over the Ministry which has not had a minister since Mijo Crnoja resigned more than a month ago.
Responding to a question about Milijan Brkić, who is also a candidate for the minister, Vukovar commanders say they have nothing against him and will certainly support him if the prime minister appoints him. Rehak urged the Prime Minister Tihomir Orešković and First Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Karamarko to appoint the minister as soon as possible.
In a separate statement, Branko Borković said he had accepted the candidacy to become the veterans minister at the urging of his fellow soldiers from Vukovar. “My comrades and veterans associations from Vukovar have persuaded me that in this situation I should accept the candidacy at the invitation of the prime minister. All I can say is that I have accepted the candidacy and I expect the prime minister to invite me to a meeting so he can make the decision”, said Borković. He added that he was proposed as a non-party candidate on behalf of veterans.
