President Zoran Milanovic said on Sunday that citizens could be reassured that he would take part in the 17 April parliamentary elections as a candidate for the Prime Minister and that he would win the polls, and added that he would not step down as the president.

“Andrej Plenkovic and his HDZ have been aware since yesterday they will lose the elections for the Croatian Sabor,” Milanovic wrote on his Facebook account adding that regardless of comments from the HDZ and regardless of a decision by the Constitutional Court, he is going to be a canddiate for the Prime Minister and win the elections.

“Out of fear of the defeat, they immediately started challenging the constitutionality of my participation in the parliamentary elections. No matter what thy say and whatever decisions the HDZ judges in the Constitutional Court will hand down, you can be assured that I will take part in the elections as a candidate for the prime minister and win.”

“Even if the Constitutional Court judges obey the instructions of the “coward Plenkovic” and prevent me from being a candidate on a slate of the (SDP party) in the Constituency No. 1 in which Plenkovic is also running the election our (SDP) slate will win, nevertheless,” Milanovic said.

He goes on to say that he will not step down as the head of state as he does not want to transfer the presidential powers to Plenkovic and his HDZ.

“Do not forget that in the event that I step down as the President of the Republic before the victory of the forthcoming elections and before the election of the new speaker of the Croatian Sabor, the acting president would be Gordan Jandrokovic of the HDZ. In that case, Plenkovic and Jandrokovic would run the country and take over the absolute power in the country,” said Milanovic adding that he was sure that Croatian people would not let them do that.

He claimed that nothing against the Constitution would happen be during the takeover of the powers after the elections.

It is absolute irrelevant whether I will be a candidate for the Prime Minister on a slate or not on a slate. After our victory of the elections I will then step down as the President of Republic and the newly-elected Sabor Speaker will replace me (in the role f the head of state), he said.

The Constitutional Court has announced that it will decide on Monday on President Zoran Milanovic’s announcement of candidacy in the upcoming parliamentary elections on the SDP’s slate.