Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader has announced he is resigning and quitting politics.
Mr Sanader said: 'I have decided to withdraw from active politics and not to run for the presidency.'
Local media had earlier speculated that Mr Sanader would run for president in early 2010 and, therefore, leave his post as a prime minister beforehand.
He was prime minister since his Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) took power from Social Democrats in 2003.
State radio has reported that Ms Sanader had proposed that his deputy Jadranka Kosor would succeed him.
