Zagreb Daily Report - January 25, 2010

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000050 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL HR SUBJECT: Zagreb Daily Report - January 25, 2010 ¶1. (U) Chief State Prosecutor to be reappointed: Media are reporting that Croatian Chief State Prosecutor Mladen Bajic is almost assured reappointment after the heads of all parties in the governing coalition expressed their support over the weekend. That should ensure Bajic a majority of votes despite the announcement of Zoran Milanovic, leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party, that the SDP would oppose Bajic's nomination because of Bajic's failure to speak out against alleged political influence in the past to not aggressively pursue investigations of high-level corruption. In discussing these stories, several newspaper commentaries praised Bajic's anticorruption efforts of the past six months and argued that Bajic's continued efforts are crucial to opening negotiations with the EU on issues under Chapter 23 (Judiciary and Fundamental Rights). This would be Bajic's third four-year term. FOLEY