FIZULIC, GRANIC POSTPONE VISIT TO USA DUE TO EVENTS IN HSLS: RACAN

ZAGREB, Feb 6 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan said on Wednesday that Economy Minister Goranko Fizulic and Deputy Premier Goran Granic postponed their visits to the USA probably because of the latest events in the Croatian Social Democratic party (HSLS). The Croatian economic delegation led by Economy Minister Goranko Fizulic on Wednesday cancelled its visit to the United States envisioned for February 9 to 15 due to "newly established political circumstances in Croatia", the Economy Ministry said in a statement. Granic has also postponed his planned visit to the US. The postponements are being connected to the recent re-election of Drazen Budisa as president of the HSLS, as well as announcements that some ministers from the ranks of the same party could be leaving their offices. Racan partially confirmed that the government was paralysed in the section where the ministers were from the HSLS. "I never kept it a secret, I have always warned that current events affect the work of the government," the prime minister said. He stressed that he personally, as well as other people in the government, were trying to do their jobs, until, he said, some issues within the ruling coalition and among parties are not solved. "We have to overcome this. Even if some ministers resign, I will demand that they do their jobs until the last moment so to avoid problems in the very difficult and serious work of the government," he said. (hina) lml