Croatia’s prime courtroom bars President Milanovic from changing into prime minister | Politics Information

Constitutional Courtroom says Zoran Milanovic can’t take up PM submit as a result of he didn’t first step down as president.

Croatia’s prime courtroom has dominated that President Zoran Milanovic, who had campaigned to grow to be prime minister earlier than this week’s parliamentary elections, could not head the brand new authorities.

“The president has been warned in time that he can’t take part within the marketing campaign however that he should [first] resign. Now it’s over. He can not be a major minister-designate,” Constitutional Courtroom President Miroslav Separovic mentioned at a information convention on Friday.

“Everyone seems to be obliged to stick to the structure and the regulation,” he added.

Croatia held parliamentary elections on Wednesday, wherein the ruling conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) received essentially the most seats however not sufficient to type a authorities alone.

The vote was held after a bitter marketing campaign between longtime political foes – the conservative incumbent, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, and the left-wing populist Milanovic.

For months, Plenkovic and his Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) get together appeared poised for a straightforward victory that will safe his third time period as premier.

However in mid-March, Milanovic, who tops opinion polls, made the shock announcement that he would problem Plenkovic and grow to be the candidate for the Social Democrats.

Milanovic dissolved parliament on March 18, triggering this week’s snap election within the European Union member state of three.8 million folks. He mentioned he would run for prime minister and resign solely after profitable the polls.

The Constitutional Courtroom then instantly warned him that he might solely stand within the elections if he first stepped down as president.

However Milanovic ignored the warning and campaigned throughout the nation, accusing Plenkovic of main the “most corrupt authorities in Croatia’s historical past”.

Corruption has lengthy been the Achilles heel of the HDZ, which has been in energy more often than not since Croatia’s 1991 independence from Yugoslavia.

The HDZ received 61 seats within the 151-member meeting, and a centre-left coalition led by the Social Democratic Celebration (SPD) received 42. The nationalist, right-wing Homeland Motion get together got here third with 14 seats, making it a probable kingmaker.

‘Preparation for coup d’etat’

Al Jazeera’s Marina Barukcic, reporting from Zagreb, mentioned President Milanovic’s subsequent transfer was unclear after the courtroom’s verdict.

“He believes that the Constitutional Courtroom’s resolution is a preparation for a coup d’etat led by Prime Minister Andrej Milanovic,” she mentioned.

Barukcic mentioned the president promised to convey again the need of the folks to the state.

Plenkovic mentioned on Thursday that it will be recognized “very quickly” with whom the get together would type a brand new parliamentary majority.

The SDP was additionally attempting to cobble collectively a majority though its activity seems harder.

Croatia has a parliamentary democracy wherein the prime minister and his cupboard set all main insurance policies. The president nominates the prime minister primarily based on election outcomes, could dissolve parliament and acts as the top of the armed forces with some say in international coverage.

Closing election outcomes will not be anticipated till subsequent week as a result of a rerun is required in two polling stations after irregularities had been recorded.