ZAGREB, April 2 (Hina) - Laid-off policemen who have been protesting in front of the government for the past two weeks on Tuesday decided to continue the protest after failed talks with Prime Minister Ivica Racan on their return to
work.
ZAGREB, April 2 (Hina) - Laid-off policemen who have been
protesting in front of the government for the past two weeks on
Tuesday decided to continue the protest after failed talks with
Prime Minister Ivica Racan on their return to work. #L#
The continuation of the protest was announced by a vice-president
of a body coordinating the laid-off police, Filip Lacic, who headed
the former policemen at today's talks.
Lacic said Racan offered the police the establishment of a new
commission, which would investigate, within 30 days, possible
irregularities in criteria according to which the police officers
were laid off.
Lacic said that the meeting, which started at 10 am, was also
attended by Racan's deputy Drazen Budisa and Interior Minister Sime
Lucin. After some 40 minutes, the delegation left the meeting to
inform the protesters about the government's offer.
Lacic said the protesters decided to insist that they be returned to
work.
"We have no choice, particularly now that some of us have been told
that our status will be regulated," Lacic said. He stressed that the
protesters had never refused the establishment of the commission as
some media claimed, but requested that the investigation of
possible irregularities be carried out after the police returned to
work. After they returned to the government building, the
delegation informed Racan about the protesters' request and he
reiterated that he could not meet it.
The laid-off police have been protesting for two weeks. On March 26,
12 protesters went on a hunger strike. This weekend four of them
discontinued the strike on the advice of a doctor.
According to Lacic, the condition of most protesters is serious and
one of them was hospitalised yesterday.
(hina) rml