Former President to run in Rijeka and Istria?
The decision made on Wednesday by the IDS Council that the party will go alone to the polls means that IDS will cooperate with the Primorje-Gorski Kotar Alliance (PGS), with whom the agreement will be signed on 22 September in Pula, but not with the Forward Croatia, the party of former president Ivo Josipović, reports Novi List on September 20, 2015.
As it stands now, Ivo Josipović will go to the polls in the 8th constituency alone, since the negotiations with other parties have more or less collapsed. Yesterday, it was confirmed that Slavko Linić will be on his list as an independent candidate. However, Josipović is thinking about personally running in the eight constituency which covers Rijeka and Istria, which will create an interesting electoral dynamic. “Yes, I am thinking about it, it is possible that I will run in the eight constituency. However, even if we go to the polls without other parties, we will remain very friendly towards IDS and PGS, since they are our friends”, said Josipović.
This would, in turn, mean that Forward Croatia party is counting on at least two seats in the eight constituency because it would be pointless for both him and Linić to be on the list if they were not convinced that both would be elected. Obviously, they believe that SDP has been so weaken in the region that they should try to win two seats.
As far as the IDS-PGS alliance is concerned, they will certainly not be a part of the pre-election coalition with SDP, but will possibly after the elections support the left coalition in an attempt to form a government. Unsurprisingly, SDP is not happy with their decision.
“It was a completely irrational decision by PGS to reject the offer of Zoran Milanović to have a safe seat in the eight constituency, which was offered to them, and to sign an agreement where they practically know in advance they will not enter the parliament, since they will be fourth on the list with IDS. But, it is now their problem”, said one of the SDP leaders.
