ZAGREB, Dec 26 (Hina) - The events that marked the work of the Croatian government in 2001 include decisions on the transfer of two Croatian generals to the Hague-based international war crimes tribunal and the construction of a
highway linking Zagreb and Split, the Baxter scandal, the beginning of decentralisation and the signing of a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Union. The Hague tribunal requested and the government approved the hand-over of generals Ante Gotovina and Rahim Ademi, accused of war crimes committed during the Homeland War. While Ademi surrendered to the international tribunal, Gotovina's whereabouts remain unknown. According to information from the government, there is every indication that he has left Croatia. The government's decision to hand the generals over to the tribunal caused a rift among Social Liberals (HSLS), the Social Democratic Party's (SDP) main coalition
ZAGREB, Dec 26 (Hina) - The events that marked the work of the
Croatian government in 2001 include decisions on the transfer of
two Croatian generals to the Hague-based international war crimes
tribunal and the construction of a highway linking Zagreb and
Split, the Baxter scandal, the beginning of decentralisation and
the signing of a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the
European Union.
The Hague tribunal requested and the government approved the hand-
over of generals Ante Gotovina and Rahim Ademi, accused of war
crimes committed during the Homeland War. While Ademi surrendered
to the international tribunal, Gotovina's whereabouts remain
unknown. According to information from the government, there is
every indication that he has left Croatia.
The government's decision to hand the generals over to the tribunal
caused a rift among Social Liberals (HSLS), the Social Democratic
Party's (SDP) main coalition partner, and prompted HSLS president
Drazen Budisa to resign from his post.
Faced with the new situation, Prime Minister Ivica Racan decided to
let the parliament decide about confidence in the government in a
vote. The parliament gave the government a vote of confidence and
Racan's team continued working unchanged until October, when a
scandal with dialysers produced by the US corporation Baxter
happened, claiming the lives of 23 kidney patients.
Faced with public pressure, Health Minister Ana Stavljenic
Rukavina (a non-party minister) had to resign and was replaced with
Andro Vlahusic of the HSLS.
In early autumn, the government held a session in Split at which it
officially decided that by 2005 Zagreb and Split would be linked
with a highway running through the central region of Lika.
At another session in Rijeka in March, the government set a
framework for the decentralisation of the state and initiated other
reforms concerning the power industry, payment operations, the tax
system, health and welfare sectors, the pension system and
employment.
As regards social issues, at the end of this year the government and
its social partners, employers and unions, signed a two-year
Partnership for Development agreement. The document should help
the social partners reach a consensus on the resolution of burning
problems such as unemployment, speedier development, and the
development of the state in general.
The government introduced changes in its regular work as well, one
of them being the budget for next year, which is the first budget to
include expenses for pension and health insurance and the
Employment Bureau, which is why the 2002 budget will amount to
almost 77 billion kuna.
This autumn Croatia signed an Agreement on Stabilisation and
Association with the EU, which is considered one of the most
important achievements of the country's foreign policy.
At the government's proposal the parliament ratified the agreement
in December, and shortly afterwards the document was ratified by
the European Parliament.
(hina) sb rml