The decision on the invitation of bids for the construction of the 37-kilometre section of the Split-Dubrovnik highway was made at the proposal of Prime Minister Ivo Sanader who explained this move by his cabinet's wish to work transparently and let the public participate in decision-making processes.
There are higher interests and this refers to efforts made by the most responsible Croatian institution to do its best to defend national interests, Sanader said.
He resolutely refuted all politically-motivated speculation and doubts raised about the government or any minister. In this context PM stressed that he stood behind all of his ministers and that his cabinet was working transparently and openly.
The incumbent PM warned that the current as well as future governments should not allow to get themselves into a situation in which they are forced to act according to some semi-agreements and verbal deals made by their predecessors.
He reiterated that his government was pushed into such situation by decisions of the previous (coalition) government which he said embarked on changing a contract (with Bechtel) after the elections.
Transport Minister Bozidar Kalmeta told the government that those vociferous critics in the Bechtel case vocifereted only to distract the attention of the public from reports of the Office of State Auditors that showed what they had actually done.
Minister Kalmeta said the 2003 reports of auditors revealed the fact that some jobs had been agreed without respect to the Public Procurement Law and often contrary to the opinion of the finance ministry.
Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul asserted that orchestrated attacks against the current government were levelled by some who had so far been involved in those jobs.
PM Sanader and the ministers said that after the decision on inviting bids for the section construction, the highway would be constructed at a slower pace.
"The pace of the construction will be different, the construction will be slower as the invitation of bids requires the provision of the comprehensive documentation," Sanader added.
Zuzul went on to say that the entire job would now be also more expensive.
Finance Minister Ivan Suker said that the existing law on public procurement was inadequate and that it should be changed.
That's why the government set up a working group whose task would be to draw up a new public procurement act.
At the start of Wednesday's session Prime Minister expressed his best wishes to all Croatian citizens on the occasion of Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day which is a national holiday in the country.
On 5 August, Croatia marks Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving day to commemorate the liberation of Knin, the stronghold of Serb rebels since the early 1990s, by Croatian police and army forces in the 1995 operation "Storm". The liberation of Knin meant the end of a para-state called Krajina which Serb rebels declared with the help of the former Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) shortly after the first parliamentary elections in Croatia in the early 1990s, with the aim of annexing it to Serbia.
Sanader, who thanked all who had taken part in the 1995 "Storm" operation, said he would attend tomorrow's ceremony in Knin and called on other government members to join him.