Dragan Primorac
Dragan Primorac (born June 7, 1965) is a university professor, pediatrician, geneticist and forensic science expert who became a politician as a member of Croatian Government, serving as the Minister of Science, Education and Sports between 2003 and 2009. He completed his first term (2003–2007) without any party affiliation. According to the International Republican Institute survey of October 1, 2007, he was rated as the most successful minister in the Croatian Government with 31% approval rate.
Primorac was at first not a member of a political party, before he joined the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) in September 2007. At the Croatian parliamentary election, 2007, he ran as a candidate of HDZ in the 11th electoral unit (the so-called Croatian diaspora list), and their list won almost 82% of the votes. After elections he did not join the Parliament and was named a minister again in January 2008. Because of proposed reduction of the budget for the Ministry of education, science and sports, and especially due to the canceling the project of free textbooks and free transport for pupils of primary and secondary schools in Croatia he announced his resignation. He resigned on July 7, 2009. Soon after, he made an unprecedented move, and he gave up his seat in the Croatian parliament to the Party. The Party then gave the seat to Goran Maric, who replaced Primorac while he was minister. On November 9, 2009, Primorac formally announced his candidacy in the Croatian presidential election, 2009. He was subsequently summarily removed from HDZ membership. In the first round of the election he won 5.93% of the vote and did not qualify for the second round.
