SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC LEADERS SPEAK OF ECONOMIC PLATFORM

ZAGREB, Oct 29 (Hina) - Social Democratic Party (SDP) vice president Slavko Linic said on Wednesday the SDP and Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) economic platforms were much more similar than might be deduced from statements coming from the HSS during campaigning for next month's parliamentary election. #L# SDP government ministers Linic and Mato Crkvenac today briefed reporters about their party's economic programme, which relies on keeping stable and dynamic investing and entrepreneurial activities and a development-oriented economic policy. The two ministers said the SDP economic programme was certainly different to that of the HSS but that common points did exist. Linic commented on accusations from the HSS that the SDP had waged a neoliberal policy in the incumbent coalition government, while the HSS advocated a controlled state interventionism. "The SDP can't have politics manage the economy, which doesn't mean that the state won't control economic processes, given that it has controlled bankruptcy proceedings. The difference is that the SDP advocates that the economy should be managed by experts with international qualifications and not by partisan scientists," said Linic. He added that the common points in the SDP and HSS economic programmes were sufficient for the signing of a coalition agreement. Linic wondered if the opening of the Croatian market, the country's admission to the World Trade Organisation and the Central European Free Trade Agreement, and drawing closer to the European Union could be labelled as a neoliberal policy. "We have a low inflation, about 150 Croatian goods are cheaper than four years ago because the market has opened, and domestic output hasn't failed," said Linic. He and Finance Minister Crkvenac said the SDP had stabilised the country in the macroeconomic sense, reducing the balance of payments deficit from last year's 7.5 to 3.9 percent of gross domestic product this year. (hina) ha sb