January 2008 Zagreb _ Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader’s Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, is set to sign a coalition agreement with several smaller parties on Tuesday, paving the way for the formation of a new government.
The last of the coalition partners, the Social Liberals, are due to endorse the deal at a meeting on Monday.
The centre-right, HDZ, which has governed the country for the past four years, came first in the November 25 elections, but with 66 seats, it was 11 short of an outright majority in parliament.
Since then it has secured the backing of eight more MPs from the electoral alliance of the Croatian Peasants’ Party and the Social Liberals.
It has also signed agreements with the Independent Democratic Serb Party, with three seats, and the Croatian Party of Pensioners, with one.
In addition, the HDZ has got the backing of three lawmakers representing the Roma, Czech and Italian minorities.
Sanader has said that some of his former cabinet members will stay the government.
They include Finance Minister Ivan Suker and Bozidar Kalmeta, as Minister of Tourism, Transport, and Development.
It is expected that ethnic Serbs representatives will be among those getting top jobs in government.