ZAGREB, Oct 15 (Hina) - The leaders of Croatia's ruling five-party coalition did not discuss at Monday's meeting the mandate Health Minister Ana Stavljenic Rukavina has made available to the government, Prime Minister Ivica Racan told
reporters after the sitting. Minister Rukavina acted responsibly by making her mandate available, Racan said, adding there was time to decide on the issue. We want to ascertain all relevant facts in relation to the deaths of 21 kidney patients who underwent dialysis, after which the government and myself will decide about the health minister's act. The leaders of the five ruling parties today endorsed the government's opting for a thorough and quick investigation into the cause of the patients' deaths. The meeting also focused on last week's incident when MP Anto Kovacevic insulted MP Vesna Pusic during a parliament session. His conduct was without doubt unacceptable, Racan said, s
ZAGREB, Oct 15 (Hina) - The leaders of Croatia's ruling five-party
coalition did not discuss at Monday's meeting the mandate Health
Minister Ana Stavljenic Rukavina has made available to the
government, Prime Minister Ivica Racan told reporters after the
sitting.
Minister Rukavina acted responsibly by making her mandate
available, Racan said, adding there was time to decide on the
issue.
We want to ascertain all relevant facts in relation to the deaths of
21 kidney patients who underwent dialysis, after which the
government and myself will decide about the health minister's act.
The leaders of the five ruling parties today endorsed the
government's opting for a thorough and quick investigation into the
cause of the patients' deaths.
The meeting also focused on last week's incident when MP Anto
Kovacevic insulted MP Vesna Pusic during a parliament session.
His conduct was without doubt unacceptable, Racan said, stressing
the five-member coalition had unanimously decried Kovacevic's
behaviour.
The participants agreed that anyone could express themselves in one
way or another, even act in a primitive manner, but cannot do so
without sanctions, or hide behind the Croatian people.
An individual may be primitive, but the Croatian people are not, the
prime minister asserted.
The five party leaders also discussed the conduct of Mato Arlovic
who chaired the parliament session at the time the incident
occurred. Arlovic, Racan believes, found himself in a complicated
situation and made the mistake of having cautioned Vesna Pusic as
well.
It is the stance of the five that Arlovic's biggest mistake was not
having ordered Kovacevic out of the parliament until the end of the
current session.
Racan stressed Kovacevic's conduct after the incident and the fact
he still showed no remorse was especially worrisome.
The meeting did not tackle a request by the Croatian People's Party
(HNS), of which Vesna Pusic is president, that Arlovic no longer
chair parliamentary sessions.
(hina) lml sb