"Sanader has said that Croatia will from now on run economic policy on its own. Does he want to say that Croatia's economic policy has been run by the IMF? It seems so, because Sanader and the HDZ did not have their own economic policy," Racan said at a meeting with members of the public at SDP headquarters in Zagreb on Saturday, which was broadcast live by Radio 101.
Racan believes that the HDZ-led government has been unquestioningly implementing all the requirements set by the IMF because it does not have its own economic policy, while on the other hand he insists that the previous coalition government led by his party cooperated with the IMF, but did not agree in everything with the international financial organisation.
"I'm sorry Sanader also didn't run an independent economic policy with the IMF. Despite the claims by the HDZ that it has an economic strategy, they have never shown it. Maybe they do it now, before elections," the SDP leader said.
Answering questions from members of the public, Racan said that while he had been prime minister, he and President Stjepan Mesic had called for an investigation into the alleged existence of secret bank accounts of the Ministry of Defence and other institutions, which were recently mentioned by the accused business tycoon Hrvoje Petrac at his trial, but that the investigation did not produce any results.
"The investigation didn't give any results because at that time, just like today to some extent, there was a vow of silence. Only when there was a row within the HDZ would that vow break and something would come out," he said. "You have to have strong and firm evidence, which we, unfortunately, didn't have."
Commenting on the announcement by the government that by selling its stake in the pharmaceuticals company Pliva it would ensure payment of the second instalment of the money owed to pensioners, Racan said that this was proof that the government had earlier been telling untruths when it claimed it had the funds for servicing the debt to the pensioners.
He again dismissed accusations that in the sale of Pliva's shares the SDP had actively lobbied for one of the bidders, Icelandic generics firm Actavis, saying that by using such accusations the HDZ showed once again that "when caught in a scandal without being able to wash their hands of it, they try to portray everyone else as being dirty."