TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL: NEW GOVERNMENT MUST CONTINUE COMBATING CORRUPTION

ZAGREB, Dec 19 (Hina) - Croatia's new parliament and government must continue to combat corruption and amend or implement some legal provisions, the president of Transparency International Croatia, Zorislav Antun Petrovic, told a news conference on Friday.#L# One of the first things the new government should do is appoint a commission in charge of conflicts of interest which would comprise seven members - four MPs and three eminent public figures, Petrovic said. The appointment of that body is foreseen by the Law on the Prevention of Conflicts of Interest in performing public duties. The commision should, among else receive declarations on assests from state officials. Under the law, state officials cannot receive their wages until they declare their assets so new officials would have to volunteer until the Commission is appointed, Petrovic said. Stressing that in the past period, Croatia had been placed in a group of countries in which corruption no longer represented a great problem, Transparency International Croatia expressed hope the implementation of the national programme on combating corruption would continue. (Hina) it sb