The Constitutional Court dismissed as groundless a complaint the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party filed against a decision by the State Election Commission of November 18 allowing the opposition coalition Kukuriku to replace its candidate Goran Habus in Constituency No. 3 with another candidate after Habus gave up his candidacy and was taken off the coalition's slate.
The Constitutional Court said on its website on Tuesday that a candidate on a list that had not been approved yet could be replaced after he or she gave up the candidacy within the prescribed deadline.
The HDZ recalled in a statement on Monday that the opposition coalition "on November 16, owing to public pressure, removed Goran Habus from the slate and nominated, on the same day, Natalija Martincevic, as his replacement."
The party warned that the election legislation does not provide for the possibility of replacing a candidate who has given up their candidacy or has been removed from a slate, after the prescribed deadline has expired.
The HDZ also warned that the problem could bring into question the principle of equality of participants in the election process.
The SDP-led opposition coalition said last week that Martincevic would replace Habus on its list of candidates in Constituency No. 3, which covers Krapina-Zagorje, Varazdin and Medjimurje counties, in the coming parliamentary election. Habus, a member of the Croatian People's Party (HNS) who was recently elected mayor of Varazdin, caused a minor drunk driving accident some ten days ago.
