CRKVENAC: ELECTIONS WOULD BE HARMFUL FOR CROATIA, GOVT REFORMS

OSIJEK/DJAKOVO, March 1 (Hina) - Finance Minister and member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidency, Mato Crkvenac, said Friday that at the moment, elections would be harmful for Croatia and government reforms. Speaking at a round-table on economic policy, organised by the Osijek city's SDP, Crkvenac said elections would cause a cessation in reforms and in the dynamics of economic growth and a loss of financial and economic rating abroad. "We shall fight to the end to carry out what we have planned, but if the government cannot consolidate to be successful and if parties become an obstacle to themselves, elections will be inevitable. They will be imposed, but even that is better than to have a barren government which is unable to solve problems and is burdened by constant conflicts," Crkvenac said. Asserting that Croatia has a consolidated economy and a healthy financial system, the finance minister stressed that "the government's absolute priority is dynamising economic growth to a rate of seven percent in the next two years, and at the same time, decreasing the number of unemployed." He added the government intended to step up reforms in the health, pension and defence systems, as well as in science, education, justice and state administration. (hina) lml sb