Hebrang Runs?

Večernji list (Vecernji list) reports that, according to "well-informed sources", HDZ decided to announce Andrija Hebrang as its presidential candidate on Monday. Same sources speculate about Miroslav "Ćiro" Blažević's (Miroslav "Ciro" Blazevic's) presidential run as nothing more than a "ruse" designed to steal as many votes from Mesić in the first round and thus secure second round.

This scheme might backfire terribly. It is quite conceivable that Hebrang, despite all HDZ voters who might be impressed with his staunch hard-line Tudjmanism, might end on 3rd place.

It wouldn't be the first time that such miscalculation occurrs. In 2000 it took three weeks for Mate Granić (Mate Granic), ultra-popular foreign minister and HDZ best hope, to plummet from 1st to 3rd place in the opinion polls. With Hebrang, arguably the least popular of all prominent HDZ politicians, this scenario is even more likely.