LOWER HOUSE DISCUSSES STATE PUBLIC ATTORNEY'S REPORT

ZAGREB, May 12 (Hina) - The ruling coalition in the Croatian National Parliament's House of Representatives on Friday asked for the refusal of an annual report on the work of the State Public Attorney's Office in 1999, expressing its opinion that this office failed to protect enough assets and interests of the country last year. Deputies of the ruling six-party coalition described the report as inconclusive while of one those parties - HSLS - insisted on relieving Petar Sale of his duty as the State Public Attorney. The Sabor is to vote on Sale's report next Wednesday when the lower house resumes its fourth session. The bench of the HDZ party that had appointed Sale to this office, did not express particular remarks on his report. Some of HDZ deputies, however, asserted that the latest report was better and more substantial than previous ones and therefore it deserved commendation rather than criticism. Vladimir Seks accused the new authorities of intending to replace Sale exclusively for political reasons. Responding to objections that the State Public Attorney's Office was slow with initiating some court processes, Sale said they had done so at requests of ministries and the Government when the state did not have enough money. Sale claimed that this practice was continued with the change of authorities. He added that "yesterday, ten minutes to 04.00 pm Interior Minister called him and asked him to put any, even groundless, legal objection to a court procedure as the Government does not have money to pay damages." (hina) jn ms