ZAGREB, CROATIA - President of the United Independent Lists (SNL) Tatjana Holjevac announced she would run for Zagreb Mayor, president of the City Assembly, her current function, the City Councils and local Councils. As she put it, she is hopeful of a domino effect, because if Zagreb citizens vote for her at the elections for mayor, they will vote for her in the other elections.

- We`ll see how the citizens react. According to certain surveys, there is a large gap behind Mayor Bandic, followed by Radimir Cacic and myself. I hope the citizens will vote in large numbers. I will see if I`m pleased after the findings – president of the SNL Tatjana Holjevac said.

“Zagreb should not be ruled, but governed”

Looking back on current Zagreb “ruler”, Mayor Milan Bandic, Holjevac pointed out that Zagreb should not be ruled, but governed and it also needs a new decision-making system. Her independent list, which the SNL party will support, she added, is working on plans for 2009, where transport is the most important area.

- We are preparing ourselves for the local elections. The City Assembly passed fees for the presidents and vice presidents of City quarters, this is all what is being done when it comes to decentralisation. It is my opinion that this is not enough. Communicating with the citizens helps me while drafting the programme. Work is required in the continuation of solving transport, according to our opinion, the City of Zagreb needs a light city railway system or an underground. Jakusevac is a problem, the thermal waste management system, which should be done through European Union pre-accession funds. The points where the city and the state coincide are also a problem. For instance, with the Zagreb on Sava River project, where the state owns the surrounding area, or with illegal waste dump sites, where the ministry and the inspection are jurisdictional, not the city. Tighter collaboration is something that needs to be worked on – the president of the City Assembly explained.