HDZ: OFFICIALS' SALARIES CUT BY 24, NOT 40 PERCENT

ZAGREB, Feb 24 (Hina) - The new parliamentary majority "has passed a law which deceives the electoral body," Vladimir Seks told reporters in Zagreb on behalf of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) parliamentary bench. State officials' salaries have not been cut by 40 percent as the government outlined, but by approximately 24 percent, the official of the largest opposition party asserted, adding the parliamentary majority had knocked down an amendment by its own government and thus deceived the electoral body. According to Seks, the law has cut ministers' salaries by 15 percent, representatives' salaries by 23 percent, assistant ministers' salaries by eight percent, and the salary of the president of parliament and the premier by 26 percent, without compensation for past work. Seks conceded the previous, HDZ-led government had set inappropriately high salaries for state officials, but stated the current government had renounced its electoral promises, in particular that it would not touch judges' salaries. The HDZ official believes "the government will deceive voters for the second time" in connection with the state budget, and that because of such steps "the HDZ will prepare for early parliamentary elections." (hina) ha jn