ZAGREB, Nov 27 (Hina) - After preliminary talks on the forming of a new government, the presidents of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS), Ivo Sanader and Zlatko Tomcic respectively, on Thursday
announced a meeting of the two parties' experts which will discuss the compatibility of their economic programmes. The HDZ and HSS experts should meet on Friday.
ZAGREB, Nov 27 (Hina) - After preliminary talks on the forming of a
new government, the presidents of the Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ) and the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS), Ivo Sanader and Zlatko
Tomcic respectively, on Thursday announced a meeting of the two
parties' experts which will discuss the compatibility of their
economic programmes. The HDZ and HSS experts should meet on Friday.
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Tomcic told reporters after the meeting at the HSS offices that he
and Sanader focused on the two parties' orientations and the
compatibility of their programmes as potential coalition
partners.
Sanader said the two parties were drawing closer to an agreement and
that today's talks were very good, as confirmed by the agreement
that teams of economy experts should meet tomorrow.
Asked if the two parties were close to an agreement, Tomcic said
that would depend, among other things, on the outcome of tomorrow's
talks. If the experts agree on the economic programmes, the talks
will continue, he added.
"If we reach a high level of agreement on some 15 important economic
policy issues, the talks will resume," Tomcic said.
Responding to a question from the media, Tomcic said today's talks
had not addressed the division of mandates in the future
government, and that this would be discussed after it was
established how the talks on economic issues were progressing.
Asked to comment on suggestions from Europe as to what the future
ruling coalition in Croatia should be like, Sanader said he wished
to refute some media's allegations that something had been
requested of the HDZ. He added his European friends had only asked
him if he was sure he could form a coalition and that he had said
yes.
"I am refuting that anyone from Europe is putting pressure on the
HDZ not to form a coalition with this or that one."
Asked for a comment on Croatian People's Party's Radimir Cacic's
statement about an interim government made up of right and left wing
parties if forming a government of centre and centre-right parties
proved impossible, Sanader said one could read all sorts of things
lately, including Cacic's statement.
Asked if he wanted the Croatian Party of Rights in his cabinet,
Sanader said the matter was under discussion, while Tomcic added
that would be one of the topics of future HDZ-HSS talks.
Sanader is currently discussing a possible coalition with the
leaders of the Social Liberals and the Democratic Centre, Drazen
Budisa and Mate Granic respectively, and the two parties' MPs --
Djurdja Adlesic, Ivan Cehok, and Vesna Skare-Ozbolt.
(hina) ha/it sb