OSIJEK: CAMPAIGN FOR ELECTION OF HSLS PRESIDENT STARTS

OSIJEK, Jan 20 (Hina) - The acting president of Croatia's Social Liberals (HSLS), Jozo Rados, and former president Drazen Budisa spoke about their programmes at the beginning of a campaign for the election of the new party president at a party meeting in Osijek on Sunday. After the meeting, which was held behind closed doors, Budisa expressed satisfaction with the start of the campaign and the atmosphere in the party. He announced that he would present his complete election programme next week. Asked by reporters about the authenticity of a part of his programme, published in today's newspapers, he said that "some of it is true." He explained that his proposal that three parties in Croatia's ruling coalition should have the right to veto government decisions "does not refer to those decisions which have been adopted but to preparations for the adoption of decisions," and added that in coalition governments "outvoting is not common during the adoption of decisions regarding issues which are important for individual parties." "I have suggested a protection mechanism, which will give three parties the right to voice disagreement in the process of preparation of important legal decisions and that will be part of my programme for the reorganisation of relations in the ruling coalition," Racan said. Mutual trust, compliance with jointly adopted rules, and the decision-making process are important for the coalition government and those mechanisms have to be improved so that further "crises in the adoption of political decisions" can be prevented, he said. Similar proposals and views have been coming from "other coalition parties", Budisa said, but did not say which parties he was referring to. Asked whether First Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic, an HSLS member, would stay in the government and if he (Budisa) planned to become First Deputy Prime Minister if he won the party election, Budisa said his recent statement about Defence Minister Jozo Rados (HSLS) staying in the government was his personal opinion and that decisions about appointments were made by senior party bodies. Asked whether the HSLS would stay in the ruling coalition, he answered affirmatively, saying he was certain the government policy and the conduct of HSLS ministers would not continue to collide with his political views. Acting party president Jozo Rados told reporters that while presenting his programme he had also pointed to some illogical elements in Budisa's programme. Asked to elaborate on his statement, Rados wondered how Budisa intended to achieve what he had failed to do earlier in present, more difficult conditions and why he had resigned from his post of party president without a valid reason. Asked to comment on Budisa's statement that he (Rados) would stay in the government if he (Budisa) won the party elections, Rados said he wanted to perform his duties in the government under normal conditions and should he not be able to do so, he alone would decide about his resignation. He stated that most HSLS ministers were doing a good job and that he would not make any major personnel changes if he was elected HSLS president. (hina) rml