Croatian Democratic Union

MPs including Lovric Merzel herself voted for the removal of her immunity on Friday, making her the third lawmaker from the ruling Social Democratic Party, SDP, to be stripped of parliamentary privileges over corruption allegations.

HDZ leader Tomislav Karamarko said on Thursday after a party meeting in the eastern Croatian town of Vukovar that the opposition centre-right party had taken a brave decision in putting up a woman as candidate for the country's presidency.

“She belongs to the HDZ, to the people’s party and to Christian Democratic milieu. And she’s a woman," he said.

The alliance formed by the Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, Croatian Peasant Party, HSS, Croatian Party of Rights Dr. Ante Starčević, HSP AS, and three other minor parties won 41.42 percent of the vote.

Its win gives the grouping six of the 11 seats in the parliament reserved for Croatia, which joined the European Union on July 1 last year.

Two key parties in Mostar, the Bosniak Party of Democratic Action, SDA, and the Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, discussed development of the troubled Herzegovinian city, adding that they had come up with a strategic document to aid the economic situation.

HDZ verdict is a turning point for political transparency

HDZ is the first political party in the EU to be found guilty of corruption.

Former Prime Minister Ivo Sanader (centre) was sentenced to nine years in prison in the Fimi Media case. [AFP]