ZAGREB, May 29 (Hina) - Croatian President Stipe Mesic on Sunday night told several dailies he was dissatisfied with the increased number of unemployed people in the country. Assessing "Croatia is in an economic and psychological
depression," Mesic said "all measures should be undertaken for it to get out of the depression, with international support". Describing the first 100 days of the new government, Mesic said "the most important issue is that good communication has been established between the President of the Republic, the Government and Parliament so the race for power could cease and everybody performs their part of the task". Mesic expressed dissatisfaction with the growing number of unemployed, but added with Croatia's US$9.5 billion debt and burdens of the state at many levels, "it is clear more could not be done". "I believe that with better organisation new strategic decisions of the Government are
ZAGREB, May 29 (Hina) - Croatian President Stipe Mesic on Sunday
night told several dailies he was dissatisfied with the increased
number of unemployed people in the country.
Assessing "Croatia is in an economic and psychological
depression," Mesic said "all measures should be undertaken for it
to get out of the depression, with international support".
Describing the first 100 days of the new government, Mesic said "the
most important issue is that good communication has been
established between the President of the Republic, the Government
and Parliament so the race for power could cease and everybody
performs their part of the task".
Mesic expressed dissatisfaction with the growing number of
unemployed, but added with Croatia's US$9.5 billion debt and
burdens of the state at many levels, "it is clear more could not be
done".
"I believe that with better organisation new strategic decisions of
the Government are expected to be of use in the upcoming several
months. The Government must get out of the depression in which it
will have the support of the President and Parliament," Mesic said
in an interview for six national dailies on the occasion of the fist
hundred days of his being in office and Homeland Day, celebrated on
May 30.
Asked what he could have done better himself in the past 100 days,
Mesic said he had acted in line with his conscience.
Asked whether it was true that he had contemplated the possibility
of dismissing the Parliament, Mesic answered in the negative, but
added "I, however, believe the Constitution should include a
solution in case of crisis which should not be solved extra-
institutionally".
Regarding the last ten years of the rule of the Croatian Democratic
Union (HDZ) and the late President Franjo Tudjman, Mesic said
Tudjman's clairvoyance had been crucial during the time of
discussions about Croatia's independence.
"He said 'let us carry out a referendum', and that referendum helped
us later on to receive maximal international support . This was his
(Tudjman's) most important decision in the positive sense and his
worst decision was agreements with Milosevic (Yugoslav President,
Slobodan)", Mesic asserted.
Asked about assessments that the "former authorities had been a
criminal organisation", Mesic said he would not call it that,
rather "corrupt".
Discussing recent developments in the Croatian Intelligence
Service (HIS), Mesic stressed the HIS was facing a thorough
reorganisation.
"HIS was an intelligence organisation oriented towards foreign
affairs". There were only nine persons who worked in line with HIS's
duties. The remaining 300 people "were performing tasks which had
nothing to do with the HIS," Mesic said in the three-hour long
interview.
(hina) lml