IMPLEMENTATION OF RESULTS

On October 18, the late President Franjo Tudjman gave a rare press conference for invited foreign journalists in Zagreb. When asked if he would install an opposition prime minister if the opposition won the elections, President Tudjman's reply that he would do what was "in the best interest of the Croatian people" struck many in Zagreb as ominous. His subsequent silence on the issue, despite demands from the opposition parties for clarification, only serve to heighten fears that the opposition would not be allowed to form a government.63 The "Zagreb crisis," cited by many journalists and domestic NGOs as a possible model for the post-election period, demonstrated that the Croatian president was willing to ignore the will of the electorate. Although the death of the president has temporarily eclipsed the issue of the implementation election process, the willingness of the ruling party to respect the election results remains an open question. In the words of one journalist: "the post-election period will be more important than the elections."

The prime minister and other ministers are appointed by the president at the recommendation of the parliament, giving the president effective veto power over the formation of a government. With the appointment of state secretaries in key ministries (Interior, Defense and Foreign Affairs) over the last year that are accountable directly to the president, President Tudjman created the means for the President of Croatia, along with his defense council, the VONS, to govern Croatia for several months if a stalemate occurs between the current (acting) president and the parliament over the formation of a government. Even if such an outcome now appears unlikely, it is important to note that the House of Counties, an upper chamber of the parliament with the ability to amend or block legislation, will remain under HDZ control at least until 2002. The ruling HDZ party will also continue to control state television and enjoy substantial influence over the judiciary, including the Supreme Court the Constitutional Court. A democratically-elected government from the opposition may find its room for maneuver limited.