Friday October 30th 2009 appears to be one of those days with many interesting news breaking in relatively short timespan.
In the morning, wires were hot because of the impending resignation of deputy prime minister Damir Polančec. One of Sanader's most trusted lieutenenants, apparently out of favour with prime minister Jadranka Kosor, was forced to fall in his sword, following series of arrests and indictments related to major corruption scandal within Podravka, top state-owned food company. The news hardly surprised everyone - Kosor's coalition partner, namely liberal HSLS and ethnic Serb SDSS party, wanted his head as a price for continuation of parliamentary support.
Polančec decided to go down with a flash. He gave a press conference, accusing media for "lynching", declared that he won't seek Sabor mandate (with accompanying parliamentary immunity) and - just to spice things a little - accused President Stipe Mesić for being involved in a scandal.
Many believe that Polančec's resignation won't be the last, or that Kosor would start major purge of Sanader's cadre in order to increase her own popularity and help her party with something that should resemble Croatian version of Mani pulite - major anti-corruption investigation against the political establishment.
Few hours later, her government made a move that indicated serious intentions of staying in power, or not giving presidential elections to the opposition. December 27th was announced as a date for the first round of elections.This date is the best for HDZ, because many Croatian immigrants from Western Europe - Tudjman's party's most loyal supporters - will be in country for the Christmas holidays. That shoud improve chances for Andrija Hebrang, official candidate of HDZ who is currently all but written off by all major polls and pundits. Having Hebrang pushed in the second round - nobody dares to predict his actual win - should be a great achievement for Kosor.
In the meantime, Željko Kerum attended first major public ceremony following his shocking personal revelation from a week ago. He opened kindergarten in Split's neighbourhood of Brda. This kindergarten is one of many that should be open in November, thus making one of the promises he had made during the summer.The name of a kindergarten is Nevica, which many say is a play on the name of Nevenka Bečić, Kerum's sister and chairman of City Council. Kerum's people deny that and say that the kindergarten got its name from "neven", which is Croatian word for marigold.
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