TOMCIC GLAD HSS NOT IN COALITION WITH HDZ

SPLIT, March 26 (Hina) - Speaking at an electoral assembly of the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) branch in Split on Friday, party leader Zlatko Tomcic said it was good that the HSS did not enter into a coalition with the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) after last year's parliamentary elections because the HDZ failed to use the big opportunity it was given.#L# It is clear after three months into the government's term that the HDZ "is neither able nor ready to solve the basic problems in the country", he said. He criticised the government for "a poor and incorrect law on VAT", which he believes will cause great damage to the economy, as well as its illegal conduct in negotiations with the EU on import quotas for agricultural and food products, to go into force after EU enlargement in May. The HSS has filed an interpellation request regarding the government's conduct in this matter. The purpose of the request is to ensure that the parliament plays the role as guaranteed by the Constitution, which is to control the government's work. The government neither sought nor obtained the parliament's opinion on the matter and negotiated in Brussels about import quotas "in an arbitrary and amateurish manner", which may cost the country billions of euros, Tomcic said. The HSS leader also said that it was intolerable that the parliament was not discussing cooperation with the Hague war crimes tribunal and participating in the defence of national dignity. (Hina) rml