President Milanović: Outcome of vote by Supreme Court judges was expected, they will not support an outsider
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović said that the outcome of the vote by Supreme Court judges on nominations for the position of Supreme Court President was expected because it was only natural that they would not support an outsider. Namely, at a general meeting of the Supreme Court, the judges supported the nomination of their colleague Marin Mrčela for Supreme Court President.
“The outcome of the vote by Supreme Court members was expected,” President Milanović told reporters in Rajevo Selo, where he attended the opening of the 25th edition of an event of authentic creativity entitled “Raspjevana Cvelferija.”
“The question now is whether police officers will also be choosing their chief, soldiers their chief of staff, state attorneys the attorney general, footballers their coach and children their teacher,” said President Milanović.
He noted that under the Constitution “the President of the Republic proposes a candidate for the Supreme Court and not that the Supreme Court chooses among several candidates.”
“Naturally, they are partial because they are a closed community and will not support an outsider,” said President Milanović.
The President said that the amended Courts Act put the Constitutional Court judges in a situation where they had to choose among several candidates instead of declaring their opinions on a single candidate as had been the case for the past 30 years. “It is only natural that they will choose one of their own. But it was not conceived that way, it’s a mistake and I keep saying that,” President Milanović reiterated.
Change the Constitution and I will back down, the President emphasized. “As long as the Constitution says so, I will nominate a person I consider to be the best for the job, which does not mean that other people are not good. That’s my duty,” President Milanović concluded.