The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), the senior ruling party in Croatia, elected Jadranka Kosor as the new president of the party on Saturday, paving her way to become the country's first female prime minister since independence in 1991.

Some 9,000 HDZ delegates unanimously made the decision at the party's general convention in Zagreb before naming former President Ivo Sanader honorary president, the Croatian news agency HINA reported.

Addressing the party convention, Kosor said that she was confident that her appointment as the new prime minister and her cabinet would be approved by the national parliament on Monday.

Although Croatia is affected by the global economic crisis, this is not the time for panic but for work, Kosor said, adding that her cabinet would draw up the budget's revision next week.

On Friday evening, Kosor was authorized by Croatian President Stjepan Mesic to form a government following the surprise resignation offered by Sanader on Wednesday.

The 56-year-old Kosor said that Croatia would continue running full speed towards the European Union, and expressed hope that Slovenia would soon lift its blockade on Croatia's EU accession talks.

Sanader announced on Wednesday that he was withdrawing from the post of Croatia's prime minister and from the post of the HDZ chief and that Kosor would replace him.

In his farewell speech on Saturday, Sanader said that the time ripened for the HDZ new leader although he did not rule out his come-back to active politics.

Darko Milinovic was elected Kosor's deputy. Six vice presidents of the party were also elected at the convention.

Source: Xinhua