The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) leader, Jadranka Kosor, said on Friday she would propose changes of the party's rule book so that the election of the HDZ president would be shifted from 20 May to 1 July when, according to the changes she proposed, the president would be chosen according to "one member, one vote" (OMOV) principle.
Kosor today held a news conference to present her programme for running the leading opposition party in the coming period.
She told the press she would present the above mentioned OMOV leadership selection process to the National Council and the party's main committee.
HDZ general conventions can decide on the party's rule book amendments, and according to Kosor's proposals, the 15th general convention of the HDZ, scheduled for 20 May, should elect the presidency members and vice presidents. However, the top leader, that is the president of the party, should be elected according to the model "one member, one vote".
She believes that this will enable every party member to elect in a secret ballot the HDZ leader.
Refuting "doubts and threats at all levels" Kosor said that she would not give up from her candidacy as the HDZ president.
Kosor holds that in the event of the election of the HDZ leader on 20 May in compliance with the existing election rules, tensions in the HDZ would continue and the party would be forced to deal with its own internal problems.
Underlining that the HDZ had set a positive example in democratic processes, Kosor criticised some other political parties which she said elected their leaders with only one candidate and no rivals for that post.
Kosor said the HDZ had made good results at the last parliamentary elections given that her predecessor abruptly left the party in mid-2009, given that Croatia had been in an extremely difficult situation and that her government had to be focused on the accession negotiations with the EU and that the party had been exposed to pressure from the Office of the President and from the coalition of four parties that came to power after the 4 December elections.
Asked by reporters when she would convene the HDZ national council to propose the rule book's changes, Kosor said soon.
Asked whether the HDZ main committee could change the rules and the party's constitution in the middle of the intra-party election campaign, Kosor answered "Of course, it can do. No one else but we in the HDZ define the rules."
"I have the biggest responsibility at this moment for the HDZ destiny... Therefore I propose the changes. Those who think this idea is not good it is not good, let them provide arguments," Kosor said.
