HDZ BENCH IN HOUSE OF COUNTIES OPPOSES 2000 BUDGET

ZAGREB, March 13 (Hina) - The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) parliamentary bench in the House of Counties on Monday decided it would not endorse the budget for 2000, proposed by the Croatian government. HDZ representatives, who have a large majority in the upper house, believe the proposed budget is contrary to electoral promises given by the coalition which won the parliamentary election. The HDZ bench claims the coalition's promise of a 40-percent reduction of state officials' salaries has not been respected. The new coalition government has cut by some 25 percent the inappropriately high salaries of state officials, which the HDZ had increased in the last composition of the Croatian National Sabor. The HDZ also objects that, contrary to its promise that it would not change the salaries of budgetary users, the new government has announced a five-percent reduction of those salaries. The bench also accuses the electoral winners of going back on their promise of cutting privileges, claiming that state officials are still being driven in luxury vehicles of their predecessors - HDZ ministers. The bench said it would address a news conference tomorrow about their reasons for not supporting the new budget. (hina) jn rml