Darko Milinovic, former senior member of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) who was expelled from the party on Monday, said at a news conference on Tuesday that ousting him was “an undemocratic, uncivilised act” and that he would decide by the year’s end whether he will retake his seat in the parliament.

“If you ask me how I feel, I’m proud to have been expelled from (party leader) Plenkovic’s HDZ, I’m proud because I received countless messages, e-mails, and letters of support from those who belong to HDZ’s big family. I’m proud I wasn’t expelled from the hearts of those who make up that family, 200,000 (members),” Milinovic said.

The HDZ’s ethics committee unanimously decided on Monday to expel Milinovic, former high-ranking member of the party, because he had 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 more than 100 party members from the town of Gospic (Lika-Senj County capital), the party said.

Milinovic and his supporters had arrived in Zagreb last Wednesday to demand a meeting with presidency members to discuss the election dates for the HDZ branch leaders and deputies in the Lika-Senj County and Gospic, after the election for the leader and deputies for the party’s Gospic branch, scheduled for September 2, was postponed last Tuesday.

“The election was postponed three times in a row, and it’s clear why – so that Plenkovic would not suffer a major political defeat for the first time since he took over as party leader. The only way for Plenkovic to prevent a serious defeat (in election for the Lika-Senj County leader) was to expel me in this undemocratic, uncivilised manner,” Milinovic said.

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, Vecernji List daily reported last week.

Milinovic ran uncontested for the post of Lika-Senj county leader until HDZ MP Marijan Kustic announced his bid two weeks ago. Vecernji List reported that the HDZ leadership had openly supported Kustic’s bid, which caused anger among Milinovic’s supporters who claimed that the party leadership was violating the statute by favouring one candidate over another.

Given his expulsion from the party, Milinovic will not be able to run in the election.

“I will make a big comeback to the HDZ,” Milinovic told reporters.

He said the importance of his return to Parliament was being exaggerated in the context of media speculation on whether his returning to take back his seat could jeopardise the wafer thin ruling majority of 77 MPs in a 151-seat parliament.

“Right now Plenkovic has almost 80 votes. My return to the parliament would mean nothing for the stability of the government. I will make that decision on my own by the end of the year,” Milinovic said.

“If the government’s survival depended on my vote, I would think carefully what to do,” said Milinovic.

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