The former PM and HDZ leader called a news conference after an article in today's Jutarnji List daily, dismissing as lies all the allegations that he had bought or was renting a flat in New York for US$ 6,000.

He also refuted media allegations about purchasing expensive paintings and announced a lawsuit against the EPH publisher and other media who reported that.

Sanader said Kosor and Seks had been behind the media campaign against him and his family over the past year.

He asked, if he had been the biggest evil in the government and the HDZ, why his former party colleagues had not resigned from their posts in the party and how come that Kosor, his former right hand in the party and the government, had agreed to succeed him as PM and HDZ leader, publicly commending and praising him to high heaven.

"If I'm the biggest evil and if I was at the helm of a gang and not of the Croatian government and the HDZ, which they claim through lies and defamation, how was it possible that they closely followed and supported me for 10 years?"

Sanader said that in order to refute recent public statements about his assets, he would publish his declaration of assets on Monday, "from which it will be visible that I live off a good salary and that by the end of the year I expect a profit, too."

He would not disclose the contents of the declaration, saying only that he was a consultant and co-owner of several companies which he founded after stepping down as PM in July 2009.

"I didn't get into politics as a beggar, but there are some who did," he said.

Sanader said the reason for the systematic political persecution and media campaign against him had been fear of his possible return to politics and now of his activity as an MP.

"My closest associates until yesterday, Kosor and Seks, because of their own fears and inability to resolve the problems in the state, are now attacking me and my family by defaming me in the media."

Sanader said that behind all those attacks was political pressure on investigating institutions as well as on suspects and indictees to make them falsely testify against him.

Asked what had led him to think that his former associates were afraid of him, Sanader said it was evident when they prevented him from taking part in a recent parliamentary discussion on the work of the State Attorney's Office, adding that they should be asked about the reason for that fear.

Asked if the current parliamentary discussion on next year's budget was his last chance to topple the government, Sanader said he had not expedited the budget adoption and that he still did not know if he would vote for the budget.

Sanader reiterated that he had no intention of "breaking up the government and parliamentary majority that I created. But I have the will and the desire to fight undemocratic processes."

He confirmed sending a letter to European Union institutions but would not say what they responded.

He also refuted some media's claims that he had requested to talk about his situation with President Ivo Josipovic.