Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor said on Saturday she believed agreement would be reached with President Ivo Josipovic and that he would accept December 4 as the date of the forthcoming parliamentary election.
Kosor said she heard that Josipovic, after December 4 was set as the election date, said he would see whether the election would be held on December 5, 6 or 7.
"I'd like to warn that Article 5 of the law on the election of members of parliament clearly says that elections have to be held on a non-working day and that's Sunday," Kosor said, adding that a different date was possible "only if the president decrees that one of the dates he mentioned is a non-working day but that too is within parliament's remit."
Kosor was speaking to the press after attending a meeting of the government's commission coordinating and monitoring the tourist season. The meeting was held aboard a ferry sailing between the islands of Krk and Cres.
Asked to comment on Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Zoran Milanovic's claim that December 4 was not a good election date from the constitutional and legal position, as it would "make things complicated" with Croatia's European Union accession referendum, Kosor said she had no comment and that no statement from the opposition leader could surprise her.
As for an election agreement signed yesterday by a coalition of four opposition parties, including the SDP, she said it was unknown what they were offering and proposing.
Asked when the incumbent parliament would be dissolved, Kosor said it would be decided on time, taking into account the legal deadlines for election campaigns, the submission of slates and other matters, as well as the tasks the government and parliament must carry out before the signing of the EU accession treaty.
Kosor said there was a lot of work until then, some laws had to be amended, someone had to verify the text of the agreement, which she said would all be done by the ruling majority, the government and the MPs.
"That's what the opposition should certainly consider when it speaks of personal or I don't know which interests. The personal interests of all members of the government and the ruling coalition were to complete the (EU accession) negotiations, which we had promised citizens and done," said Kosor.
Asked about the EU accession referendum, she said it would be held within 30 days of the signing of the accession treaty.
