INSISTING ON REPLACING TOURISM MINISTER AT SEASON START UNWISE - PM

ZAGREB, April 14 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan told state radio on Monday insisting on replacing the tourism minister several months ahead of elections and at the very start of the peak summer season would be unwise. #L# "A criticism can certainly suffice," he said in connection with a recent parliamentary debate on the privatisation of the Suncani Hvar hotel chain and the Croatian Peasant Party's insisting the government distance itself from Tourism Minister Pave Zupan- Ruskovic's statements or replace her. After the government voided a decision on the sale of the hotel chain to Slovenia, the minister persisted in maintaining the Slovene offer had been the best. Racan said today such statements were not in order. "Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but government members must defend the government's position... This is where the minister made a mistake." The PM said that, unfortunately, that was not the first time certain ministers had deviated from the government's stand. Racan reiterated parliamentary elections should be held in mid- autumn, with the date yet to be set. He said public auctioning with the date was pointless. He said no error must be made in the impending work concerning admission to the European Union, and added "it won't be easy to discipline some ministers who are already deep in the election campaign". The PM criticised the fact that some parties or ministers were appropriating certain government projects, such as road building or railway development. "Those are government projects, and if someone has to appropriate them it should be Croatian citizens because (the projects) are being implemented with (the citizens') money and are in their interest. The government has approved and is watching over (the projects)." (hina) ha