ZAGREB, Sept 1 (Hina) - Croatian opposition parties have continued criticising the social reforms proposed by the government recently. Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) president Ivo Sanader told a news conference on Saturday that "the
pompous announcement of social reforms, followed first by their abandonment and then their changing, is another argument supporting the theory that this authority has no vision or programme and does not know what to do." This fits into a general picture of depression and hopelessness which are spreading through Croatia, one of the most serious problems being the insecurity of citizens in the social, economic and political sense, Sanader said. The HDZ is a serious political alternative to the incompetent government which is conducting an experiment which will have a negative effect on the lives of citizens and the fate of the state, the HDZ president said. The party is seriously preparing
ZAGREB, Sept 1 (Hina) - Croatian opposition parties have continued
criticising the social reforms proposed by the government
recently.
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) president Ivo Sanader told a news
conference on Saturday that "the pompous announcement of social
reforms, followed first by their abandonment and then their
changing, is another argument supporting the theory that this
authority has no vision or programme and does not know what to do."
This fits into a general picture of depression and hopelessness
which are spreading through Croatia, one of the most serious
problems being the insecurity of citizens in the social, economic
and political sense, Sanader said.
The HDZ is a serious political alternative to the incompetent
government which is conducting an experiment which will have a
negative effect on the lives of citizens and the fate of the state,
the HDZ president said. The party is seriously preparing for the
take-over of authority regardless of when the elections will take
place, he said, dismissing accusation that the HDZ is using
undemocratic methods, because "it was the HDZ that introduced
democracy."
Democratic Centre vice-president Vesna Skare Ozbolt told reporters
in Vukovar today it was becoming increasingly obvious that the
government as it was now would not be able to drag Croatia out of the
economic and social crisis.
The government's social measures are the result of a low rate of
economic growth, which the government obviously does not know how
to increase, she said. The DC therefore advocates a government
reshuffle as well as an early election "because it is obvious that
the ruling coalition was formed exclusively with the aim of
toppling the HDZ." To offer the Croat people new solutions to the
piled-up problems, the DC will work toward a coalition of centrist
parties and offer partnership to the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS)
and the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), she said.
Skare Ozbolt also addressed the problem of the Croatian-Yugoslav
border, stressing that Yugoslavia was still controlling about
9,500 hectares of Croatian territory. It is unacceptable that the
Croatian border police are not controlling that area, including
Vukovar and Sarengrad river islets (on the Danube), she said,
adding the two countries' relations were burdened with many other
issues, including missing and imprisoned Croatian soldiers and
civilians.
The DC official called on the Croatian foreign ministry to react to
the public appearance of Veselin Sljivancanin, whom the Hague war
crimes tribunal indicted for war crimes in Vukovar, at the
presentation of a book about his war days in the northern Yugoslav
province of Vojvodina several days ago.
(hina) rml