Opposition MPs call for early election

NEWS 20.01.202515:39 0 komentara
Anka Mrak Taritaš
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MPs from the GLAS and DOSIP parties called for early parliamentary election in response to the resignation of Agriculture Minister Josip Dabro and the investigations by the anti-corruption office USKOK into alleged corruption in the Croatian Forests. Pročitaj više

The only correct reaction is to dissolve the coalition between the Domovinski pokret (DP) and the HDZ parties and call early elections, Dalija Oreskovic (DOSIP) and Anka Mrak-Taritas (GLAS) told the press, adding that Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic must go along with his HDZ party and its coalition partner DP.

Mrak-Taritas: Plenkovic is blackmailing the DP to cover up the HDZ’s corruption and crime

Plenkovic’s time in office was characterised by “all kinds of corruption scandals”, but this level of concealment of their extent is unprecedented, Oreskovic said.

She was referring to Dabro’s weekend statement in which he claimed that he had come across a crime in the state-owned company Croatian Forests and had informed the prime minister about it. Dabro also said that in the last two years, storms in Slavonia had caused 150 million euros worth of timber to be lost or damaged and that his “boss” had instructed him to keep quiet about it.

Mrak-Taritas described the situation as “alarming”: “Much worse… is that Plenkovic is blackmailing the DP to cover up the HDZ’s corruption and crime, and there is no longer any doubt that they are plundering this country together.”

She added that in return for their votes in parliament, Plenkovic has given the DP control over three important ministries – demography, economy and agriculture.

Both MPs also held other HDZ coalition partners accountable – representatives of ethnic minorities and the HNS, HSLS and HSU parties. They called on them to say where they draw the line and whether they can continue to support a prime minister who, in their opinion, is accused by his former minister of covering up corruption.

Support for the boycott of stores

“I want to know how long they intend to keep quiet and what they have been offered to keep quiet,” Mrak-Taritas said.

Regarding the DP, the MPs said that the party was solely focused on securing positions and funds.

“They nominate people for ministerial positions who do not even have the minimum qualifications for public office, while it is apparently enough for their MPs… to remain silent and obediently raise their hands when the prime minister demands it,” said Oreskovic.

She also wondered whether there are other criminal charges against other ministers or senior executives of state-owned companies that fall under the jurisdiction of the ministries.

As for Friday’s planned boycott of shops by consumers, both Oreskovic and Mrak-Taritas argued that it would be an effective way to draw attention to problems that the prime minister continues to ignore.

Bencic: It is clear that Plenkovic must go

Sandra Bencic, leader of the Mozemo party’s parliamentary group, told reporters that after Dabro’s resignation it was “clear” that Plenkovic “must go”, because everything indicates that he once again knew everything but did not tell the public, and he even admitted that Dabro had informed him about it.

If even half of Dabro’s allegations are true, it is a huge amount of money that Croatia has lost, she added.

Bencic believes that this scandal will have no impact on the HDZ-DP coalition as the local elections are approaching and the private interests and ambitions of DP members will take precedence over collegiality or solidarity with others.

The government is spending far too much political and operational energy managing scandals instead of improving the quality of life of citizens, she said. “We are dealing with high inflation, but the media is full of Dabro and Croatian Forests.”

She said her party supports the upcoming consumer boycott as a form of pressure and a demonstration that citizens can organise on issues that matter to them. Mozemo party also supports the Most party’s proposed interpellation on inflation, which Bencic labelled “Plenkovic’s inflation”, as he has rejected measures that could have prevented it.

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