Formality Under The Shadow of Spy Scandal

Ivo Sanader's cabinet has formally called the new presidential elections for January 2nd 2005. If none of the candidates wins 50 %, the run-off is going to be held on January 16th.

The run-off, however, seems unlikely, because most opinion polls - the last being conducted by Večernji list (Vecernji list) – give current President Stipe Mesić (Stipe Mesic) formidable lead over his main rival and Ivo Sanader's favourite Jadranka Kosor. Despite the semi-official support of the women's NGOs, including lesbians from Kontra, Kosor is stuck with 17 %, which doesn't look that impressive compared with Mesić's 56 %. The rest is scattered among many minor league right-wing candidates and those who see their campaigns more as a publicity stunt than path to presidential residence at Pantovčak (Pantovcak).

The only way for Sanader to prevent Kosor's debacle is a major scandal that could turn public opinion against the current President. If the idea was to discover that scandal with the help of POA, Croatia's national security agency, it backfired. Attempts to find links between Mesić and controversial Zagreb businessman Hrvoje Petrač (Hrvoje Petrac) resulted in Helena Puljiz affair - scandal that has hurt POA and Sanader more than Mesić.

Things are becoming even worse for POA and its boss and Sanader loyalist Joško Podbevšek (Josko Podbevsek). Jutarnji list reports about the group of POA agents that have revolted against their boss and sent the letter to media and opposition leader Ivica Račan (Ivica Racan). The letter accuses of Podbevšek of abusing POA resources solely in the interest of Sanader, Hebrang and other HDZ bosses. The letter, for example, claims that POA tried to determine who had sent the phone votes against Hebrang during Nedjeljom u 2 talk-show on state-run HRT. Račan says that he had taken those claims seriously and that he would insist on parliamentary investigation.