Submitting her party's slates to the State Election Commission (DIP) on Monday evening, the president of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), Jadranka Kosor, said she was heading all party slates and was the first candidate on the slate for Constituency No. 5.
A delegation of the ruling party submitted the HDZ's slates to DIP around 6 pm.
Kosor said that there were "some surprises" on the party slates, including the candidacy of Miroslav Tudjman, the son of Croatia's first president, the late Franjo Tudjman. Miroslav Tudjman is Candidate No. 2 on the HDZ slate for Constituency No. 1, which covers the northwestern part of Zagreb County, and the centre and west part of the City of Zagreb.
Kosor said that there were new and young people on the slates, "but we have certainly respected all those who have given an important contribution over the last two years, which have been difficult for the HDZ, particularly the current period."
"I am confident it will additionally motivate our members and supporters to vote for the HDZ," said Kosor, adding that she would run in elections in Constituency No. 5, where she was born.
Constituency No. 5 covers Pozega-Slavonia, Brod-Posavina and Vukovar-Srijem counties.
Asked what her party had to offer to voters, Kosor said the party's platform was based on the government's programme of the last two years, thanks to which Croatia had completed its EU entry talks.
"We will continue all projects that are based on what we have done so far to strengthen the economy, there will be many important projects, new investments, projects that are based on a strong and resolute fight against corruption and organised crime," Kosor said.
Answering reporters' questions, she said that it was not difficult to make party slates.
"There are many brilliant people on them, the order of candidates can actually be reversed so that Candidate No. 14 becomes Candidate No. 1 and vice versa," she said.
Kosor submitted the HDZ slates in the company of the highest party officials and the HDZ's new coalition partner, Split Mayor Zeljko Kerum, who is Candidate No. 3 on the slate for Constituency No. 10.
Kerum's sister Nevenka Becic is Candidate No. 7 in Constituency No. 9, and a candidate of Kerum's Croatian Civic Party (HGS) is seventh on the slate for Constituency No. 10.
Kerum expressed confidence that the HDZ-HGS coalition would win in constituencies nos. 9 and 10, where he said it expected to win 18 or 19 parliamentary seats.
Constituency No. 9 covers Lika-Senj County, Zadar County, Sibenik-Knin County and the northern part of Split-Dalmatia County, while Constituency No. 10 covers the southern part of Split-Dalmatia County and Dubrovnik-Neretva County.
