PRIME MINISTER SLAMS SPEECH BY OPPOSITION MP

ZAGREB, March 6 (Hina) - Prime Minister Ivica Racan on Thursday on behalf of the government harshly condemned and refuted statements which Tonci Tadic of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) made at this week's session of the committee on economy, development and reconstruction regarding the role of the government and its officials in the Krsko Nuclear Power Plant case. #L# Tadic's statements are an offence to everyone, to the government and its members, they are a threat and a call for lynching, the premier said. They are entirely unacceptable in any debate, including the one in any government or parliament body, Racan said at the start of a government sitting. Addressing parliament's economy committee on Tuesday, Tadic said that everything the government, and especially Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic and Assistant Economy Minister Roman Nota, had done concerning the Slovene co-owned Krsko nuclear power plant "may be described as collaboration". "If we were in power we would put you on trial. It's sheer luck we're not at war because you know how collaborationists would fare," the HSP MP said at the session. Racan said that a democratic and civil world cannot accept such behaviour. Harshly condemning and refuting Tadic's speech, Racan expressed hope that this was only an isolated incident and not part of the HSP policy. (hina) it