Croatian Leaders Row Over Pusic's UN Candidacy

Croatia's centre-left government on Thursday offered official support to Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic in her bid to become the new UN Secretary General.

Her candidacy was unofficially raised in February and her chances appeared high, as it is thought that the next UN Secretary will come from Eastern or Southeastern Europe.

Pusic said that while the government has jurisdiction over such decisions, she would appreciate the support of President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic.

This has not come. Instead, Grabar Kitarovic responded that Pusic's candidacy was not a good idea, as the candidate should be decided by new government, since elections are near.

"It is not an international competition or a public call to which any candidate can apply, and this decision is not good and I'm afraid that it will create divisions in the country," she said.

Disagreements over Pusic's candidacy have been present for some time. The Croatian media reported in July that Grabar Kitarovic wanted to promote the candidacy of the Croatian ambassador to India, Amir Muharemi.

Muharemi has reportedly good relations with the Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, the party to which Grabar Kitarovic belonged before her inauguration.

The mutual antipathy between her and Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic is also well known. Pusic is not a member of Milanovic's Social Democratic Party but also comes from the centre-left political tradition.

All the candidates will be formally proposed by the UN Security Council, while the UN General Assembly will later vote on them.

Ban Ki-Moon steps down as the eighth Secretary General on December 31, 2016.