Two Split City Council members belonging to the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SDP), Goran Kotur and Davor Matijevic, are no longer part of the ruling majority, Split Mayor Ivica Puljak announced on Thursday, saying the city was now run by a minority government.

Out of 31 City Council members, Puljak now has the support of 15 of them.

When SDP, along with the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the HGS party of former Split Mayor Zeljko Kerum, put on the agenda a decrease in the local tax rate from 15 percent to 9 percent, the act meant the SDP was no longer part of the ruling majority, Puljak said.

He added was personally in favour of reducing the local tax rate, but that the current deficit in the city budget, in the amount of 130 million kuna, requires an analysis of how new revenues would be secured, but also a decision on what would be the best time to reduce the local rate.

“That is a complex problem. The SDP is meanwhile promoting pure populism, together with Kerum and the HDZ,” he said.

“We will continue to work for the benefit of Split residents as a minority government,” he said, noting that the SDP had sought a managerial post in the city-owned company Stanouprava but that he did not agree to it and would not allow trading in posts in city-owned companies.

SDP councillor calls the Mayor a ‘liar’

SDP councillor Matijevic dismissed Puljak’s accusations, calling him a liar and manipulator.

“By advocating a cut in the local rate from 15 percent to 9 percent we took the side of Split residents, and Puljak, too, advocated that move during the election campaign,” said Matijevic, adding that Puljak had not informed the SDP of any of his moves and that he was trying to provoke new elections.