Croatian Parliament Speaker and the Social Democratic Party's Main Committee chairman, Josip Leko, referring to the decision by the party's presidency to nominate incumbent Health Minister Rajko Ostojic as the SDP candidate for Zagreb's mayoral election instead of the leader of the party's Zagreb branch Davor Bernadic, said on Thursday that this was a usual and internal party matter and a democratic decision, adding that he didn't see any problems in that.
Asked whether Bernadic had cause to be offended, Leko said that "the party's interests and fair political relations are what is important".
On 15 October, the Zagreb city branch of the SDP unanimously proposed Bernardic, the incumbent city council chairman, to be the party's candidate for the mayor of the capital in the next local elections, due to be held in the spring. After the SDP branch meeting, Bernardic, an SDP member of parliament, said that he would run for Zagreb mayor as he planned that "under his leadership Zagreb should be the driving force of Croatia".
However, the SDP presidency decided on Wednesday evening to propose to the party's Zagreb branch to nominate Health Minister Ostojic for Zagreb mayor at the forthcoming local elections. The SDP's Zagreb branch will meet next week to discuss the presidency's proposal, said Bernardic after that.
Commenting on the decision that the Croatian Peoples' Party (HNS) and SDP nominate a joint candidate for Zagreb's mayor, HNS leader Radimir Cacic said that Zagreb was the point where the quality of cooperation in the ruling coalition can be measured.
He added that there could be towns where the SDP and HNS might compete against each other at the local level but that this certainly would not occur in Zagreb.
Leko and Cacic gave their comments on the latest developments surrounding the SDP canddiates after President Josipovic's Christmas reception.
Leko also said that in 2013 he hoped that "all those who can will contribute so that we can all live better in the New Year and that those in office may have a little more sensitivity to the problems of the ordinary man".
