Croatian Premier Kosor reshuffles cabinet

Dec 27, 2010, 14:00 GMT

Zagreb - Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor on Monday replaced four ministers in her cabinet and promoted three new deputy premiers, saying she was aiming to create new momentum for her administration.

The finance, defence, environment and culture ministers - respectively Ivan Suker, Branko Vukelic, Marina Matulovic-Dropulic and Bozo Biskupic - were replaced to 'refresh' the government, Kosor told a press conference.

Martina Dalic was named minister of finance, with the defence portfolio going to Davor Bozinovic, the culture ministry post to Jasen Mesic and the environment positiong going to Branko Bacic.

She also introduced Domagoj Ivan Milosevic, Petar Cobankovic and Gordan Jandrokovic as new deputy premiers. Her cabinet grew from 17 ministers and deputies to 21.

Local observers speculate that changes in the government may be a sign of new steps towards cracking down on corruption in the administration launched since Kosor took over in 2008.

Her predecessor and former political mentor, Ivo Sanader, was arrested in Austria this month on a warrant by Croatia, which has filed charges against him of involvement in organized crime.

Kosor heads the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), which she also took over after Sanader's resignation 17 months earlier. She has since worked on building a clean-hands image by allowing prosecutors and police to investigate powerful politicians and businessmen.

Croatia is to hold regular parliamentary elections in 2011. Despite the crackdown on corruption, in which around 40 high-ranking officials and wealthy businessmen have been arrested, public opinion surveys predict an election catastrophe for the HDZ.

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