"The HDZ leadership is to blame for the HDZ being bad Opposition because it is preoccupied with intra-party affairs instead of responding to the government's moves," Prgomet told a news conference on Tuesday.

"Jadranka Kosor is the party president and the most responsibility lies with the opposition leader."

Instead of criticising the government, the HDZ is expelling members who are critical of the party and instead of putting forward project proposals, decisions are being adopted that prevent democratic speech and candidates for party leader from using party offices to present their platforms, said Prgomet.

Asked about the responsibility of HDZ vice-president Darko Milinovic for the situation in the party, in light of his statement that he had learned about the HDZ's entering in a coalition with the HGS party of Split Mayor Zeljko Kerum two hours before it was made public, Prgomet said this only proved the need for the current party leadership to step down and make room for new people to lead the HDZ.

Asked if he believed that there was a parallel system of leadership in the HDZ, Prgomet said that it was difficult to say because he was not a member of the senior party leadership. "I would call it a system of non-leadership rather than a parallel system of leadership."

Commenting on the government's work, Prgomet said that the government was unprepared despite its claims to the contrary during the election campaign.

"Judging by statements carried by the media, one can conclude that there are three governments - one run by the minister of finance which is planning lay-offs in the public sector, one run by the prime minister which plans no lay-offs, and a third one, which is adopting a programme envisaging more than 1,000 new jobs," Prgomet said.

He said that his invitation to a public duel sent on Monday to his rivals had so far been positively responded to by Domagoj Milosevic and Milan Kujundzic.