GOVT OFFICIALS ANSWER QUESTIONS BY LOWER HOUSE REPS

ZAGREB, Feb 23 (Hina) - The Croatian Government stands by its proposal for reducing the salaries of state officials, however, it will request by an amendment that the basic salary amount to 85 percent and not 100 percent of last year's monthly salaries, Premier Ivica Racan told the House of Representatives on Wednesday. Racan stated this answering questions by MPs who wanted to know whether the existing bill on the salaries of state officials departed from electoral promises of the coalition which won the elections. Annulling previous bonuses should reduce the salaries of state officials by 40 percent, Racan said, answering one of some 40 questions the MPs asked during today's question time, which lasted more than two hours. Ljerka Mintas-Hodak of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) wanted to know about economic data which the Government claimed it had not known about and which revealed a much more difficult situation in economy than was previously believed. State debts and obligations are higher than we thought and we are facing daily new worrying data and detrimental contracts, Racan said. He confirmed the Government did not have at its disposal many important documents and contracts. It is necessary to find those documents so that one could establish the state's obligations as well as the responsibility of those who signed those contracts, Racan said. Vlado Jukic of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) wanted to know if it was possible to solve problems with Slovenia in such an easy way as President Stjepan Mesic, who recently said concessions had to be made by both countries, believed. Racan believes that problems between Croatia and Slovenia are not that serious as one was led to believe so far, as there was not enough mutual readiness to solve them. Compromises regarding borders are possible if Croatia's vital interests are protected at the same time. If there is no other solution, disputable issues will be dealt with through arbitration, Racan said. Foreign Minister Tonino Picula declined to answer whether Croatian tax payers have paid the costs of a visit of several Serbian and Montenegrin opposition representatives to Zagreb on the occasion of the inauguration of the Croatian President. Namely, Anto Kovacevic of the Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU) asked Picula how much the visit of Serbian Opposition leader Zoran Djindjic and his associates, their stay in Zagreb and police escort cost and whether this was paid by Croatian tax payers. Kovacevic also wanted to know who had invited the Serbian officials since none of them found it appropriate to apologise to the Croat people for the genocide committed by their compatriots. Answering the question, Picula said that within its policy of strengthening good neighbourly relations the Government decided to strengthen democratic process also in those countries where those processes were weak or did not exist. He explained that the visit of the part of the Serbian Opposition had been organised through diplomatic channels to the benefit of both sides but he did not say who covered the costs. Picula expected that within a reasonable period of time opportunities for democratic processes would be created in Yugoslavia as well, but that this would depend primarily on the Yugoslav Opposition. "I certainly want to believe that this will include a different and much more positive attitude toward victims killed after or during the Serbian aggression on Croatia," Picula said. (hina) mm rml