The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) presidency on Tuesday evening decided to replace the current two HDZ deputy speakers of the national parliament -- Jadranka Kosor and Vladimir Seks -- by another two HDZ members: Tomislav Culjak and academician Zeljko Reiner.
According to Tomislav Karamarko, the president of this strongest opposition party, the replacement of Kosor, a former HDZ leader, and Seks was approved by all presidency members except two abstentions.
He said that the main reasons for their replacement was "the matter of the electoral defeat and the fact that they have not offered resignation as a moral act".
Karamarko said that the two would be offered some other solutions such as being at the helm of some committees and that they would not be degraded when it came to their status.
The HDZ chief expects that the parliament will consider the changes in the positions of deputy speakers from the HDZ ranks on Friday.
He ruled out any rifts in the HDZ following the latest decision of the party presidency and stressed that the HDZ was undergoing its consolidation.
Karamarko told the press that the HDZ presidency had also discussed a report on the developments regarding the indictment issued against the HDZ as one of defendants in the Fimi Media trial in which former HDZ senior officials, the HDZ as a legal entity, and some other persons are charged with syphoning money from state institutions through the private Fimi Media marketing agency.
"There is an option of reaching a plea bargain agreement with the Office of the State Prosecutor and we will see the terms and conditions for that, and there is also an option for us to fight until the end of this trial," Karamarko said.
He emphasised that there was no collective guilt of the entire party but that "individuals who committed a crime must assume their responsibility".
Jadranka Kosor told the Croatian national broadcaster's late night news programme that the decision on her replacement had been made by those whom she had enrolled in the party.
"I have worked well and in a committed manner. I brought (Croatia's) accession negotiations with the European Union to a conclusion and fought against corruption," she told the HTV.
She said that she had invested much effort into the HDZ and she would remain loyal to that party.
