The Croatian People's Party (HNS) remains a committed partner to the ruling coalition and its close cooperation with the Istrian Democratic Party (IDS), another junior member in that coalition does not mean any faction from the SDP-led coalition, HNS parliamentarian Jozo Rados told the press in the Sabor on Wednesday.
We are very responsible in our relations towards our partners, our cooperation with the IDS does not undermine the relations in the coalition, Rados said.
During the recent local elections, the four-party state-level governing coalition led by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) was facing the test of its unity on the issue of the support to candidates of Istria County Prefect.
The SDP decided to support Damir Kajin for this position, after he fell out with the leadership of the IDS party whose member he used to be for a long time. The Croatian Pensioners' Party (HSU), also a member of the state-level governing coalition, remained in the bloc backing Kajin. On the other hand, the IDS and the HNS remained together in supporting the IDS candidate Valter Flego who subsequently won the election. Similar relations mirrored in the election campaign for other local positions in Istria.
Rados also declined to comment on a recent statement by Prime Minister and SDP leader Zoran Milanovic that he hoped that the coalition partner HNS, who rejected the SDP's initiative to amend the constitution, would have now eight weeks to grasp his party's proposal.
The HNS seems adamant against what it perceives as too frequent changes of the constitution.
