The presidency of the Croatian People's Party (HNS), a junior member in the four-party ruling coalition, on Thursday accepted the announcement by the party leader Radidmir Cacic that he would step down and also accepted the candidacy of Vice President Vesna Pusic to run for the party's president at the HNS election convention, set for 23 March, the HNS said in a press release issued on Friday.
According to the press release, Cacic's decision to withdraw from the HNS helm was accepted following the final court ruling under which Cacic was found accountable for a tragic car accident in Hungary in 2010 with two fatalities.
The presidency unanimously endorsed Pusic's candidacy for the new HNS leader. The HNS main committee is expected to discuss the matter on 23 February, and the election convention is scheduled for 23 March.
The press release quoted Cacic as expressing regret that he would not be able to give his contribution during 2013.
In late November 2012, Cacic was sentenced by a Hungarian court to 22 months' imprisonment for causing a car accident in Hungary in January 2010 in which two people were killed. Cacic immediately resigned as First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy and asked the Hungarian authorities for permission to serve his sentence in Croatia. Hungary has given its preliminary approval and Cacic will be allowed to serve the sentence in Croatia only after the final decision of the Croatian court is approved by the Hungarian justice minister.
The regional alliance of the HNS for northwestern Croatia last week elected Cacic as his president, paving the way for him to sit in the party's presidency.
