ZAGREB, Aug 8 (Hina) - Following Tuesday's protest rallies of police officers who are made available to the government, the Croatian police chief superintendent, Ranko Ostojic, said last night that the police union was spreading
disturbing and false information, and he asserted that everybody with the adequate school degree and proper papers would remain within the Interior Ministry. Today's protest is perhaps the result of the bad work of the union, which, instead of being a partner in the settlement of problems and in carrying out reforms in the ministry, is spreading the information that all of this is behind-the-scene manoeuvring, although this process has been under way for over one year, Ostojic was quoted by the Croatian Television as saying on Tuesday night. The most important fact is that no employee of the Interior Ministry has been dismissed, I stand behind what I say. Some workers have been made availab
ZAGREB, Aug 8 (Hina) - Following Tuesday's protest rallies of
police officers who are made available to the government, the
Croatian police chief superintendent, Ranko Ostojic, said last
night that the police union was spreading disturbing and false
information, and he asserted that everybody with the adequate
school degree and proper papers would remain within the Interior
Ministry.
Today's protest is perhaps the result of the bad work of the union,
which, instead of being a partner in the settlement of problems and
in carrying out reforms in the ministry, is spreading the
information that all of this is behind-the-scene manoeuvring,
although this process has been under way for over one year, Ostojic
was quoted by the Croatian Television as saying on Tuesday night.
The most important fact is that no employee of the Interior Ministry
has been dismissed, I stand behind what I say. Some workers have
been made available to the Government and it is true that the
interior ministry has established that there is a surplus of
employees who are waiting for the resolution to be made by their
basic offices, Ostojic explained.
In this context, Ostojic denied the police union's allegation that
there were 4,790 rather than 3,800 surplus workers of the
ministry.
A part of people who are protesting have not had a chance to be
acquainted with the programme for the settlement of their
situation. All who are made available will be covered by this
programme which we have drawn up, Ostojic added.
The union should help conduct the reform in the ministry so that
Croatia may get the efficient and adequately paid police force. At
the moment, 92 percent of the money earmarked for the ministry is
given for police officers' salaries, and only eight (8) percent
goes for the maintenance of the equipment. There is no enough money
as the number of police officers climbed from 16,000 in 1992 to
32,000 in 2000. This is the highest ratio of a police officer to a
citizen in comparison to other countries in the neighbourhood,
Ostojic added.
Asked about the ministry's next moves, Ostojic said he expected
that the ministry would be able to continue with the implementation
of the care programme. In the coming three months nobody will be
left without pay, and all will get income sufficient for normal
living, he asserted.
There are currently over 1,000 employees of the interior ministry
who have finished only primary school. Papers of additional 450
employees are being checked, and 400 disabled war veterans have
stated that they are no longer able to carry out their duty as
policemen. The government will take care of all of them, Ostojic
said.
(hina) ms