PROPOSAL ON INCREASING CHILDBIRTH ALLOWANCE SETS SDP, HDZ AT ODDS

ZAGREB, March 21 (Hina) - A debate on a proposal by Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) deputy Jadranka Kosor on returning childbirth allowances to the level of 2000 set deputies of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the HDZ at odds, with most SDP deputies leaving the session on Thursday. #L# The debate on childbirth allowances was interrupted last night, after Mato Arlovic, who chaired the sitting, felt sick. The session resumed this morning. The bill has already been refused by the government, which prompted Kosor's party colleague Drago Krpina to accuse the government of an anti-population policy. Krpina said the reduction of childbirth allowances was the most irrational and irresponsible decision of the incumbent authorities. Speaking about what he described as a drastic fall of the birth- rate, Krpina said "the SDP part of the government does not think it is important if in 50 years this region is populated by Croats or some other people", which prompted most SDP deputies to leave the session. Krpina's remark that Croatia does not need roads, factories and economy if there are no children was slammed by some deputies of the SDP, Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) and the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS), who accused him of demagogy. SDP's Romano Mestrovic reminded Krpina about the rule of the HDZ, whose, he said, criminal transformation and privatisation policy destroyed many companies and forced a large number of young people to leave the country. He asked the HDZ deputy if that was how the HDZ cared for mothers and children. Kosor reminded that in 1971 Croatia had 17,135 newborns, a figure which by 2001 dropped by 7,500. She quoted experts as saying that in 50 years Croatia's population would decrease by one million. (hina) rml