MPs of the strongest opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP), whose senior officials -- Racan, Mato Crkvenac and Slavko Linic -- came under the fire of HDZ deputies over the guarantees, said they were in favour of the establishment of the commission. However, they feared that the only motive of the proposal by the ruling HDZ was a political showdown with the SDP and an attempt to discredit its members rather than establish facts.
Another opposition party, the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP), also supported the idea of establishing the commission, but proposed giving it wider powers so that it could probe other cases of ailing companies which were granted state guarantees.
Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS) MP Damir Kajin opposed the establishment of the commission for the Lenac shipyard, as he did not believe that this move would help the company which has already gone into receivership.
"To deal a couple of blows to the former government is not worth risking Lenac's bankruptcy and by doing so we are telling foreign companies not to enter into business deals with the shipyard," Kajin said.
During the debate, auditing companies also came under the fire of MPs who wondered how some auditors could assert that everything was going on well in the shipyard.
Branimir Glavas, who explained the reasons for the HDZ motion, refuted the opposition's accusations that the main motive behind the motion was to politically discredit the former coalition government.
He criticised the former government for granting state guarantees on the basis of the criterion of political suitability of managers and political alliances.