President of SDP Croatia, Zoran Milanovic, resigned following his party's failure to win the majority in the Croatian Parliament at the elections that took place on 11 September.
Tomislav Karamarko, then President of HDZ, also resigned several months earlier, following his failure to assemble the government. Additionaly, he and his wife found themselves in the midst of a financial scandal as Croatian media 'smelled' a possibility that Hungarian MOL's Josip Petrovic was paying Karamarko's company Saboli.
Political analyst Ivana Maric told us that every elections in Croatia result in at least one 'victim' – resignation that is, which is a correct behavior. She also said that such practice should be used by BH politicians. When the voters send you a message that you are no longer their first choice, presidential resignation is expected.
- In BiH, presidents of political parties resign only if faced with big public pressure and that the party is destroyed, Maric explains.
- SDP in Croatia has won a number of seats. Thus they have not lost much. Nevertheless, Milanovic resigned.
The habit of BH politicians to remain in the seat of the party president even after the party faces the failure, Maric attributes to their big ego.
Maric said that the politics in Croatia is not errorproof. President of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, took a photo of her ballot paper, although it is entirely against the voting rules. By doing so, Maric explains, she gave a bad example to the citizens that she is above the law.
- Why the president should have to prove whom she voted for, Maric is wondering.