Darko Milinovic, a member of the Presidency of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and candidate for leader of the party's Lika-Senj County branch, has been expelled from the HDZ, the party's ethics committee decided on Monday.

The decision came after the HDZ Presidency took disciplinary action against Milinovic last week for a grave breach of membership obligations.

Milinovic acted against the party’s fundamental values and principles, and caused damage to its reputation and political interests by organising a protest rally outside HDZ headquarters in Zagreb on August 29 involving about 200 party members from the town of Gospic (Lika-Senj County capital), the HDZ said in a statement.

Milinovic had arrived in Zagreb on Wednesday along with some 200 party members from the County, demanding to meet with presidency members to discuss the election dates for the HDZ branch leaders and deputies in the Lika-Senj County and Gospic.

Vecernji List daily reported last week that the election for the HDZ leadership of the Lika-Senj County and the city of Gospic triggered open conflicts between the party leadership and the local branch led by Milinovic after the party leadership had openly supported the bid of Milinovic’s opponent, HDZ MP Marijan Kustic, for the position of county branch leader.

On Thursday, the HDZ Presidency initiated disciplinary proceedings against Milinovic for causing political damage to the party. Out of 29 Presidency members who participated in the vote, 27 voted in favour of taking disciplinary action.

Milinovic issued a brief statement on Monday in which he said that the decision to expel him from the HDZ was “unwarranted and undemocratic”.

He said he would hold a press conference in the coming days to provide details surrounding his expulsion.

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