ZAGREB, July 30 (Hina) - Outgoing Defence Minister Jozo Rados on Tuesday stated that he had been prepared to remain in office but that he was leaving because he did not have enough support and powers to continue re-organising the
armed forces.
ZAGREB, July 30 (Hina) - Outgoing Defence Minister Jozo Rados on
Tuesday stated that he had been prepared to remain in office but
that he was leaving because he did not have enough support and
powers to continue re-organising the armed forces. #L#
I asked that the re-organisation be executed in keeping with strict
criteria without exceptions. Some people dared to even publicly
proclaim that the restructuring should be implemented without
criteria, Rados said at his last press conference as Minister of
Defence.
Asked who failed to give him support he replied that he always had
understanding from Prime Minister Racan however, generals too
often appeared in interviews where they attacked the minister and
ministry.
To keep the peace, I had to refrain from conflicts so that we did not
end up hampering Croatia's access to NATO, Rados said.
He announced that he would offer his support to the new Defence
Minister, Zeljka Antunovic, whom he evaluated had a better chance
to succeed because of a more favourable political climate.
According to Rados, after his two-year-long term of office he is
leaving behind a clean ministry, cleared of any crime and with
strategic preparations and operational documents in place for the
continuation of reforms.
Rados denounced claims that the Ministry and armed forces intend to
fire 13.5 thousand people and claimed that only 12 thousand were
redundant.
Of that number, ten thousand are soldiers who will need to choose
retirement or active reserves and at most two thousand civilian
personnel who will be given higher redundancy payments, Rados
pointed out.
He added that the number of employees in the Ministry in the past two
years was decreased by 4,837 which meant a savings of 41 million
euros each year.
He emphasised that the during his term of office the Ministry
managed to preserve battle techniques in their original state
despite decreased funding.
Rados could not say how much reforms would cost however he estimated
that 2.2 per cent of the GDP would be required to ensure a better
infrastructure, salaries, maintenance and upgrading.
A reformed defence system could then operationally be prepared to
enter NATO in the autumn of 2004, Rados said.
(hina) sp ms