Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and his cabinet on Monday morning started a meeting on nominating the successor to Mario Banozic, who was relieved of duty as Defence Minister after a deadly accident on Saturday morning in which one man was killed and Banozic was injured.

The 11 November road accident in which the 40-year-old man driving a van was killed on a road at the exit from Vinkovci was caused by Defence Minister Banozic while he was driving his own car and started overtaking a freight vehicle without making sure previously that he could do it safely. Banozic collided with a van moving in the opposite direction.

Banozic is being treated in a hospital for serious injuries.

The decision on relieving Banozic of the ministerial duty was sent to the parliament today.

The parliament will initiate the procedure for appointing the new defence minister upon receiving the nomination of the new candidate.

The term of the new minister will last less than a year, as Croatia is holding parliamentary elections in 2024.