HSLS and HSS present candidates for local elections in Zagreb

ZAGREB, Sept 23 (Hina) - The coalition of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) and the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) held a press conference on Sunday to present their candidates for the Mayor of Zagreb and Deputy Mayors ahead of local elections due in May next year.

Non-partisan mayoral candidate Vladimir Ferdelji, a successful businessman, said that the present model of running the city and its economy needed change, adding that if he was elected he would work on ensuring a better life for all residents of Zagreb, and equality in richness and not in poverty. He called for a stronger economy, better municipal infrastructure and efficient administration.

HSLS president Darinko Kosor said that the HSLS/HSS coalition was a broad initiative and alliance for a better Zagreb. He said that Zagreb needed new people who knew how to develop it, adding that the city currently owed 10 billion kuna and that its utility company, Zagrebacki Holding, generated 500 million kuna of debt annually.

The Social Democratic Party has been in power in Zagreb for 12 years and a vote for the current Mayor, Milan Bandic, is a vote for the SDP, even though he is no longer a member of that party, Kosor said. We are facing a choice between SDP candidate Davor Bernardic and Milan Bandic, which is basically the same, but we do not want a repeat of bad policies, he stressed.

The candidates for Deputy Mayors are Nenad Matic of the HSS and Vjekoslav Jelec of the HSLS.