The President of the Republic Zoran Milanovi\u0107 commented the announcement made by Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Damir Krsti\u010devi\u0107 whereby he will resign due to a plane crash in which two Croatian Air Force pilots were killed. \u201cI immediately received a report from the Chief of the General Staff, I have been briefed about everything that happened, and we should wait for the findings of the investigation to get more facts\u201d, President Milanovi\u0107 said, adding that he spoke to Minister Krsti\u010devi\u0107 with no reference being made to his resignation. Asked whether he would seek the Minister\u2019s resignation, the President said that in these circumstances he would not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Assessing the defense system, the President of the Republic stated: \u201cThis has no direct bearing on my judgment of the defense system. The system is good, it rests on people and on the available resources, I have been following the system for about two decades. Now I see progress, I see progress in every aspect, first of all in its human resources.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In replying to a reporter\u2019s question whether he would do something about the flaws and the irregularities in the defense system, President Milanovi\u0107 said that he will react if he sees them. \u201cThe army rests on people, it is a difficult way of life and calling. Most people in the system are ready to learn, expose themselves to risks, but in every circle of people there are bad guys, but they are a minority\u201d, the President added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Milanovi\u0107 also commented the upcoming parliamentary elections. \u201cElections will be held very soon, I will not get involved in the campaign. The Prime Minister did not contact me about the election date that\u2019s how things work in democracy\u201d, President Milanovi\u0107 said and continued: \u201cThe decision to call an election is not like every other one in the past twenty years, it will have an impact on public healthcare, epidemiology. If the decision is to go to the polls right now, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that everything will turn out fine because we are still in a very delicate phase of coming out the restrictions and we don’t know what lies ahead in two, three weeks\u2019 time. But evidently there is a wish to go to the polls as soon as possible, and I will not or cannot stand in the way.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commenting conditions in which the elections will be held, he said: \u201cI heard that someone from the Civil Protection Directorate, Minister Bo\u017einovi\u0107, said that in case of a new COVID-19 wave, the restrictions would not be as severe. I thought about convening consultations, my predecessor acted in such a way, but that is not the role of the President of the Republic. I did not discuss the dissolution of Parliament with the Prime Minister, it is his tactical right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Milanovi\u0107 replied to press questions after viewing the retrospective exhibition of Vatroslav Kuli\u0161, which opened in the National Museum of Modern Art in Zagreb. It had been temporarily closed due to the pandemic and the earthquake in which it was damaged.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanovi\u0107 commented the announcement made by Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Damir Krsti\u010devi\u0107 whereby he will resign due to a plane crash in which two Croatian Air Force pilots were killed. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":2245,"template":"","news-cat":[12],"class_list":["post-3895","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-cat-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n