ZAGREB, June 28 (Hina) - The parliamentary benches of the Croatian ruling coalition, except the Social Liberals (HSLS), on Friday announced they would vote for the ratification of an agreement on the Krsko nuclear power plant, while
opposition parties, except the Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS), resolutely rejected the agreement, describing it as unfavourable for Croatia.
ZAGREB, June 28 (Hina) - The parliamentary benches of the Croatian
ruling coalition, except the Social Liberals (HSLS), on Friday
announced they would vote for the ratification of an agreement on
the Krsko nuclear power plant, while opposition parties, except the
Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS), resolutely rejected the
agreement, describing it as unfavourable for Croatia. #L#
The agreement is a political and economic fiasco, said Tonci Tadic
on behalf of the HSP/HKDU (Croatian Party of Rights/Christian
Democratic Union) bench.
For Tadic, after Slovenia unilaterally decided to stop sending
electricity from the plant to Croatia and took over the entire
ownership in 1998, Croatia had a chance to ask for compensation but
failed to do so. Today, any arbitration would be more favourable
than this agreement, he claimed.
Tadic quoted Slovenian Premier Janez Drnovsek as saying in
parliament that Zagreb had turned down Ljubljana's proposal to buy
the Croatian stock in the plant located in Slovenia's Krsko.
Tadic warned that Slovenia, at Austria's request, might start
dismantling the nuclear plant much earlier than the 2003 deadline
set by the agreement. In that case, Croatia must take part in the
costs of the dismantling and in the storage of nuclear waste.
Marina Matulovic-Dropulic of the HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union),
strongly opposed the ratification, claiming that there were no
guarantees that the agreement would be respected.
She said the government had not yet notified MPs about precise data
on its current negotiating position, or about agreements so far
signed and debts the two states had.
In her opinion, the agreement on Krsko does not ensure Croatia's co-
ownership in the plant. Matulovic-Dropulic believes that it would
be cheaper for Croatia to build a new gas plant than to take over
part of the costs for the storage of nuclear waste and the closing of
the plant.
Mate Granic of the Democratic Centre (DC) said the government had no
clear strategy of its relations with Slovenia, while Slovenia
aggressively lobbied in the European Union and the United States.
He urged the Ivica Racan Cabinet to immediately abandon the
initialled agreement with Slovenia on borders, and to insist on
obligatory international arbitration for the issues of the borders
and the Ljubljanska Bank's debt. Only if Slovenia accepted the
arbitration, Croatia could start thinking of ratifying the Krsko
deal, Granic said.
Djurdja Adlesic of the Social Liberals (HSLS) insisted on the
removal of the ratification motion from the parliamentary
session's agenda. Any discussion on the agreement is unnecessary as
long as the Slovenian parliament does not ratify it, Adlesic said,
reminding that Croatia ratified an agreement on cross-border trade
in 1998 while Slovenia began respecting the deal only last year.
Failure to ratify the Krsko agreement would bring Croatia into an
unenviable position, as the government's signature binds the
Sabor, Damir Kajin of the IDS said.
Croatia should take over co-ownership in the plant, and then think
about selling its part as soon as possible, Kajin added.
Mato Arlovic of the SDP (Social Democrats) supported the
ratification, describing the agreement as the most favourable deal
on Krsko which Croatia has so far signed. The agreement provides for
the legal security of Croatia, and now the only question is whether
parliament wants to protect its interests or talk politics, he
said.
The benches of the HSS (Croatian Peasant Party) and HNS/PGS/SBHS
(Croatian People's Party and two regional parties) described the
agreement as compatible with Croatia's interests.
Luka Trconic of the HSS said the agreement was not being ratified to
please somebody, but as it was sensible regarding Croatian
interests.
Vesna Pusic of the HNS/PGS/SBHS bench urged refraining from turning
imminent victory into defeat once again. Croatia now has an
initiative, it can accomplish its economic, ecological and
political aims, and can show that it is able to regulate its
relations with neighbours, Pusic added.
(hina) ms