Zagreb - The Croatian parliament on Friday rejected a Social Democratic Party-proposed conclusion that would have tasked the government with initiating the dismissal of State Attorney General Ivan Turudić within 30 days.
Sixty-nine MPs voted against the SDP’s conclusion, 51 voted in favour, while two abstained.
In seeking Turudić’s dismissal, the SDP argued that his appointment has been compromised from the start due to his close ties with the ruling HDZ party, not only symbolically but also operationally. They also believe he is “a man without integrity and a tool in the hands of (Prime Minister) Andrej Plenković in the fight against the fight against corruption.”
The SDP considers that public trust in the judiciary and court system is at a very low level, and that developments in the State Attorney's Office since Turudić’s appointment have only deepened this mistrust and suspicion regarding the independence of the judiciary.
In its conclusion, the SDP referred to the parliament’s rules of procedure, arguing that parliament can instruct the government to propose the dismissal of the state attorney general.
The HDZ, however, disagrees, referring to the law on the State Attorney’s Office and asserting that there is no legal basis for such a conclusion. The law defines how the state attorney general is appointed and dismissed, outlining eight specific reasons for dismissal, and there is no provision allowing parliament to propose or instruct the government in this matter, according to their interpretation.