Croatia's ruling conservative party has asked one of its top officials, Jadranka Kosor, to run for president in elections likely to be held later this year, the party said Monday. Kosor, 51, said she was "certain" she could defeat President Stipe Mesic, who still enjoys the support of most Croats. The Croatian Democratic Union, known by its Croatian acronym HDZ, "can win every battle and it certainly will win the presidential race as well," Kosor told the newspaper Jutarnji List. HDZ made its decision in a meeting late Sunday, after mulling for months who _ if anyone _ stands a chance against Mesic. Kosor has long been speculated as a likely candidate. Mesic, an independent, acknowledged Kosor is a "serious contender." The elections should be held by February, but officials have indicated they likely will be held in late December. Kosor, Prime Minister Ivo Sanader's chief aide and a former journalist, is a minister in charge of family and war veterans.
