Herr Flick's thorny comeback

His ace is people who cherish HDZ in their hearts, not those who brought this party to offender's position, says Ivic Pasalic, pretty much convinced he will succeed in returning back to politics. Pasalic's motives are ascertainable. He has spent ten years operating business, investing money he saved working as a doctor in Ivanec and later on, as a state employee. So he invested that money in construction business when this sector was still very lucrative. But those golden years have passed. Returning back to politics seems to be an attractive option again, and the moment seems right. There is no more Sanader who threw him out of the party once with Vladimir Seks and Branimir Glavas's assistance. There is a chaos in HDZ like the time of past elections. The only difference is that Borbas's security guards aren't involved so the party membership can fight each other with glass bottles, like they were during the incident from the beginning of this week in Karlovac branch of HDZ.

However, comeback wasn't so smooth. The president of the fundamental HDZ branch Remete who invited Pasalic at the election gathering, was replaced on the same election. The members of the branch claim that the man operating behind a scene is Stanko Gacic, the boss of regional branch, who doesn't act without a knowledge of the party boss Jadranka Kosor. However, Kosor claims she had nothing to do with Pasalic' s invitation and that this process is non-statuary. The party membership demands for meeting to be canceled as they claim that public support during the election went to those who don't support the current party boss. So that's how Pasalaic ended up in the middle of the party's conflict after boasting about being satisfied ''with the reception''.

Kosor washed her hands, she didn't invite him and accused people who did. Her competitors for the forthcoming party elections were in shock due to a possibility of Pasalic's comeback. But someone has been involved with Pasalic and other members of Pasalic's Croatian block who already have some HDZ's member ID like Milan Kovac does.

From the point of passive observant, things are not as bad as they seem. The complete mess with Pasalic's comeback is a proof that people still remember his tactics of govern with the assistance of secret services and media. So his political reputation is still curved in a memory even after 10 years. If Jadranka Kosor really had an intention to use his help in order to retain the party leadership, after the coalition with Kerum, people have doubt that she is capable to anything. But something did stop her at the last moment. Or someone reminded her that  Pasalic was even more unscrupulous in his methods. Or she realized that Herr Flick's comeback (this was Pasalic's nickname after Gestapo's officer from the British comedy show) would compromise her even more.

Vladimir Seks, the author of the idea of Pasalic's removal from HDZ, is only prominent HDZ member who supports Jadranka Kosor's candidature. Although he's been pragmatic, he can hardly forget why he removed Pasalic then. However, as for today,  Seks regrets that inner party election weren't announced the day after Sanader's resignation. ''We wouldn't have met this flood of aspirants'', as he heavily confessed in the interview for National weekly. Like it seems he is no longer certain in the victory of his favorite candidate despite everything that people undertake to prepare for the election. And people will undertake anything: from locking up party's chambers for rivals, to mass applications for the party membership among new and former members.  And this situation even  leaves place for opportunity of Pasalic's comeback.