The Mayor of Zagreb will head the “For Prime Minister Coalition”.
Presidents of several political parties, Bandić Milan 365 (Milan Bandić), the Reformists Party (Radimir Čačić), Novi Val (Ljubo Jurčić), HSS Stjepan Radić (Jurica Šoić) and Pensioners Together Block (Milivoj Špika) signed today in Vukovar a coalition agreement ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections. Their slogan is “For Prime Minister Coalition”, and its candidate for prime minister is Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić, reports Večernji List on August 9, 2016.
“I am convinced that Croatia will go the right way after 11 September. This is a coalition of knowledge, experience, skills, work, solidarity, unity, determination. If people want to live like citizens of Zagreb live, they should vote for a better life. If they want experiments, then they should vote for those who have impoverished them”, said Bandić. He added that Croatia needed a project for a balanced economic development and that he and his partners were the best qualified people for the job. “The first meeting of the new government will be held in Vukovar, the second in Knin, and the third on Brijuni Islands. We want to make Brijuni Islands a new Monte Carlo”, said Bandić.
He also announced that the coalition was ready to cooperate with all those who wish well to Croatia. Asked whether he believed he should have been invited to a debate between SDP president Zoran Milanović and HDZ president Andrej Plenković on Friday, Bandić said that he was not invited. “It would be a waste of time to debate the two of them”, said Bandić. He also commented on the strained relations with Serbia, saying that there was no problem that could not be solved and that it was necessary just to sit down and talk.
President of the Reformists Party Radimir Čačić said that the main difference between their coalition and others were competence and abilities. “We are people who have results and this coalition will decide on who will be the next prime minister”, said Čačić.
The president of Novi Val (New Wave) party Ljubo Jurčić said that Croatia was a rich and beautiful country with enormous resources. “Many want to govern this country, but they have no experience. Our coalition can form a viable government”, concluded Jurčić.
Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić was for many years a prominent member of SDP, but he was expelled from the party in 2009 when he decided to run for President of Croatia against the official party candidate Ivo Josipović, who eventually won the elections. Radimir Čačić was HNS president and Deputy Prime Minister during the first part of the Zoran Milanović’s (SDP) government. He resigned after he was convicted to prison sentence due to a traffic accident in Hungary which he caused and in which two people died. Ljubo Jurčić was the Economy Minister in the SDP-led government from 2000 to 2003, as well as SDP’s candidate for prime minister at the 2007 parliamentary elections. Milivoj Špika was part of the HDZ-led Patriotic Coalition at the last year’s parliamentary elections.
