Seks said a new Conflict of Interest Commission might be set up tomorrow.
Today's conflict began when Seks said that Sime Lucin of the Social Democrats (SDP) and Zlatko Kramaric of the Liberal Party had withdrawn their signatures from the People's Party's (HNS) proposal to set up a commission which would probe how Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul had acquired their assets.
Seks proposed the item be taken off the agenda because after Lucin and Kramaric had withdrawn their signatures there were not enough required to discuss the HNS proposal. Under the Rule Book, one tenth of deputies must endorse a proposal with their signatures.
Dragutin Lesar of the HNS objected, saying that neither the Rule Book nor the Commissions of Inquiry Act have regulations envisaging signature withdrawal.
Frano Matusic of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) said that by insisting on commissions to probe HDZ officials the HNS and Libra wanted to "divert the attention from scandals involving Srecko Ferencak and Radimir Cacic of the HNS". He added a commission of inquiry should be set up for Vesna Pusic, Jozo Rados, Ferencak and Lesar, HNS and Libra officials.
Damir Kajin of the Istrian Democratic Assembly said the commissions of inquiry war should be stopped. He added the commissions would not investigate anything and that individuals would only get smeared. He said all officials should submit their declarations of assets, leaving it to the competent bodies to do the rest.
Ivica Racan of the SDP agreed, announcing he would move a bill stipulating that all state officials report on how they had acquired assets. "It's the only way to come out of he current situation, to save face, to help Parliament and the Government earn the reputation they deserve."
PM Sanader agreed the credibility of Croatian politics should be reaffirmed. He said the Government would endorse the proposal that all officials explain how they had acquired property and submit it to the public. He said he was willing to have his assets investigated.
Speaking to the press later, Sanader commented on Lesar's claims that someone from the Government had threatened him by demanding that he scrap the proposal to probe Sanader and Zuzul. "That's a blatant lie on the part of Lesar and the HNS, a party which is deep in the mud."
Lesar previously told reporters that one member of the Government had threatened him by saying that unless he gave up the proposal, something would be found against him. Lesar has refused to name the person who threatened him, saying only that it was someone from the Government.
He told the press Sanader himself had rung him, asking that he give up the proposal.
"Ringing Lesar or anyone from the HNS is the furthest thing from my mind. This is the initiative of the HNS, a party which is currently implicated in the biggest scandals... which after the HDZ initiative (to investigate) Cacic responded by attempting to destabilise the prime minister and the Government, but they won't succeed," Sanader said.