The Gong non-governmental organisation which monitors elections and transparency in politics, said on Tuesday that the record-high number of MPs who crossed the floor undermines the original election results and public's trust in the election process and democracy.

Gong called on Croatians to consider whether they would again place their trust in those officials who have “changed their jersey” in the next election.

“Gong is concerned about the low level of democratic political culture in Croatia as evidenced by the way the parliament majority is being maintained, which was never seen before the term of current Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic. The Parliament is losing the public’s trust because the ruling majority is not being formed based on election platforms that voters had voted for – instead, it is being maintained on account of bartering, helped by a flood of defectors who enable such an unprincipled coalition to work,” Gong said in a press release.

The group said that during the term of the current parliament, formed in late October 2016, no less than 22 MPs have changed parties or became independents in the 151-seat assembly.

The major opposition party Social Democrats (SDP) seem to be affected by this trend the most, with 7 out of 38 MPs either leaving the party or getting kicked out by mid-October, amid internal turmoil and erosion of public support since their current leader Davor Bernardic took the reigns in November 2016.

Most MPs who left their parties support the ruling coalition led by the centre-right Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) of Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, helping him maintain a thin majority. The coalition is currently supported by 77 MPs in the 151-seat Parliament, including 55 MPs from the HDZ itself.

But Gong slammed this practice, saying that this practice undermines the original election results and erodes public’s trust in the elections and democracy.

“PM Plenkovic is helped in maintaining the parliament majority by the people who, until practically yesterday, were his opponents – which undermines the election results and destroys trust in the election process and democracy,” Gong said.

They said that the trend kicked off with MP Tomislav Saucha (SDP), who returned to Parliament after being investigated over syphoning money for fake trip allowances while serving as former PM Zoran Milanovic’s chief of staff. Although he was originally elected to parliament on an SDP list, he voted to support HDZ government after its reshuffle in 2017.

After the populist Most party had left the ruling coalition, the liberal Croatian People’s Party (HNS) joined it, which, Gong says, was a clear 180-turn considering they had originally ran in coalition with SDP on an anti-HDZ platform.

Bandic biggest winner

Gong added that the biggest winner in an unprecedented series of affiliation switching is the caucus of the party led by Zagreb mayor, Milan Bandic, named after him. Although a number of defectors who left their parties are now nominally independent, some have opted to join his parliament club, which also supports the ruling coalition.

“Bandic’s party won a single seat in parliament, but through his club he now controls 11 MPs, including the most recent defectors, the long-time SDP member MP Milanka Opacic, and former member of HNS, MP Marija Puh,” Gong said.

Although all MPs are elected proportionally from party lists of candidates in their respective districts – meaning voters vote for party lists rather than individual candidates – once elected, the seat belongs to MPs under Croatian law.

Gong said that although seats belong to MPs, rather than their party or caucus, the increasing number of deputies switching to not only other parties but also siding with platforms they previously opposed is detrimental for Croatia’s democracy.

“The large number of lawmakers switching sides to join their political opponents… reflects the contempt some lawmakers feel toward the political will of citizens… Actions like that lead to suspicions of political corruption, and reflect a low level of democratic political culture and political responsibility shown by individual politicians ” Gong said.

“Opposition MPs switch to support ruling majority because they value government’s work”

Meanwhile, HDZ whip Branko Bacic told reporters on Tuesday that the parliament majority had been stable for a year and a half now – since conservative populist Most party left the government – and that individual opposition MPs switching to support the ruling coalition meant that the government led by PM Plenkovic is doing well.

“The fact that opposition MPs are joining parties that are part of the parliament majority is evidence that they appreciate what PM Andrej Plenkovic’s government has been doing,” Bacic said.

Asked if this made his job easier, given that his job is taking care of maintaining the quorum and ensure support for passing of laws, Bacic said that the latest switches did not change anything significantly because caucuses of HDZ and other parties performed their duties regularly in the 151-seat parliament.

“I still count on 77 hands that have been certain since day one, and I have no special comment on individual MPs crossing the floor,” Bacic said.

He was asked to comment whether such transfers constituted cheating of voters.

“If there are any indications of corruption, I’m in favour of investigating it. I’m absolutely against transfers that are a result of political bartering,” he said, adding that any such practice should be prosecuted.

“HDZ has nothing to do with such transfers, our caucus works very well, and we have nothing against party switching if it is caused by individual MPs’ frustrations with the state of affairs in their own parties,” said Bacic.

Follow N1 via mobile apps for Android | iPhone/iPad | Windows| and social media on Twitter | Facebook.