BUDISA CRITICISES GOVERNMENT

ZAGREB, Jan 23 (Hina) - Drazen Budisa, who is running for the post of president of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), said on Wednesday that not even in two years of its mandate did the ruling coalition manage to pull the country out of the economic and social crisis. Unemployment has been on the rise, foreign investments have decreased, and the ruling coalition has failed to find the best model of decision-making in the government, Budisa said at a news conference in Zagreb today, presenting his election programme. Reforms in some sectors require the reorganisation of the operation of the highest state institutions - the government and the parliament, so that future reforms in the state administration could be more credible, he said. Reiterating the need of a government reform, Budisa advocated "a strong premier's cabinet, consisting of qualified experts, who would remain in the government even after the change of the authority." He stressed the importance of adopting a new law on the government, which would include a modern concept of work of future governments. Budisa reiterated his proposal on regulating relations among coalition partners, according to which three parties would have the right to veto bills before they are sent into parliamentary procedure. This would secure greater participation of some parties in the decision-making process because, he said, "we did not agree on a coalition of ministers but a coalition of five parties." He dismissed claims that the proposal could jeopardise and obstruct the work of the government, stressing that every party in Western countries' coalition governments had the right of veto. (hina) sb rml