ZAGREB, June 27 (Hina) - The Democratic Centre will not vote for the ratification of the Croatian-Slovene agreement on the Krsko nuclear power plant, and believes the Sabor could ratify it only if Slovenia accepts obligatory
international arbitration for the demarcation of the border-line and in the Ljubljanska Banka dispute, party leader Mate Granic said on Thursday.
ZAGREB, June 27 (Hina) - The Democratic Centre will not vote for the
ratification of the Croatian-Slovene agreement on the Krsko
nuclear power plant, and believes the Sabor could ratify it only if
Slovenia accepts obligatory international arbitration for the
demarcation of the border-line and in the Ljubljanska Banka
dispute, party leader Mate Granic said on Thursday. #L#
The Croatian parliament is to discuss the ratification of the Krsko
plant agreement on Friday.
Granic believes Slovenia is conducting an active foreign policy and
has been strongly lobbying in international circles for pressuring
Croatia into ratifying the document.
Contrary to this, the Croatian diplomacy has kept silent, and the
government has been conducting a passive, fumble-fingered and
incompetent policy towards Slovenia, Granic claims.
Commenting on the latest crisis in the government caused by the
Social Liberals' (HSLS) announcement that they would not support
the ratification, Granic said the coalition government "is worn-
out" and the best solution was to call parliamentary elections as
soon as possible or in early 2003.
Asked whether Premier Ivica Racan should step down in case the
parliament failed to ratify the agreement, Granic answered it would
be a good democratic practice.
It is better to call an election than to have an unstable and
incapable government, the DC leader said.
The government can no longer solve any important economic problem
and changes are now needed just as they were needed in 1998/99, he
said.
Prior to the parliamentary polls, consensus should be reached on
the important issue of the state border, Granic said.
He believes the Ivica Racan cabinet should very soon abandon the
initialled border agreement with Slovenia and launch a diplomatic
offensive to solve the issue through the obligatory international
arbitration.
Granic is in favour of arbitration in the Ljubljanska Banka
dispute, which he says is now 450 million euros "heavy", not
including interest rates.
(hina) ms sb