ZAGREB, Sept 2 (Hina) - The president of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Prime Minister, Ivica Racan, said on Saturday he expected there would be attempts to escalate political terrorism in Croatia, however, the Croatian
authorities would effectively fight them as well as attempts to cover up white-collar crime and hide war criminals. The authority will not tolerate the destruction of Croatia and attempts to turn it against the world, Racan said after today's session of the SDP National Committee.
ZAGREB, Sept 2 (Hina) - The president of the Social Democratic Party
(SDP) and Prime Minister, Ivica Racan, said on Saturday he expected
there would be attempts to escalate political terrorism in Croatia,
however, the Croatian authorities would effectively fight them as
well as attempts to cover up white-collar crime and hide war
criminals.
The authority will not tolerate the destruction of Croatia and
attempts to turn it against the world, Racan said after today's
session of the SDP National Committee. #L#
Racan said that if those who advocated terrorism or committed
terrorist acts were not punished, he was ready to face the
consequences.
Asked about the instigators of political terrorism in Croatia,
Racan said those were "groups which can no longer hide behind their
manipulation of the Homeland War, people and the HDZ." Racan
believes those groups are disclosing themselves because they are
becoming increasingly nervous.
Although Croatian President Stipe Mesic is exposed to threats by
some groups, such as the "Croatian Revolutionary Fraternity",
which has been reported by the media, Racan claims the threats he
and some other officials were exposed to would not affect the
quality of work of the Premier or the President of the State.
He added the response of the authorities would be effective and he
was therefore not afraid.
Apart from resolving the problems of political terrorism, white-
collar crime and the hiding of war criminals, also to be tackled in
the coming period are the portfolios of state companies with poor
performance. Racan expects a high degree of efficiency to be
achieved in the next two to three months in resolving these problems
and described this task as a basic national interest.
Clearing up "economic rubble" is the first step toward the
reconstruction of economy and the stimulation of employment.
Although there is both agreement and disagreement regarding this
problem, Racan expects that the government's good economic
strategy will be supported both by the employers and unions, and
that it will secure basic conditions for Croatia to embark on a path
of development with great optimism.
Reform measures await both the army and the police, shipbuilding
industry, Croatian Railway (HZ), Croatian Oil Industry (INA),
Croatian Power Industry (HEP). Also awaiting the government are
changes to the Constitution.
Stressing that the government would resolutely deal with those
problems, Racan expressed belief it would be supported by the
majority of citizens.
Racan agreed with a statement given yesterday by SDP vice-president
Zdravko Tomac who said that "both the SDP and the authorities are
currently exposed to organised and contradictory pressures."
On one side, "the formerly ruling structure is showing an
impressive degree of amnesia" while the new authorities are
battling with and discovering problems caused by the former
authorities, and on the other side, pressure by those dissatisfied
with the pace of changes is growing, Racan said.
"The Government is sometimes urged to take a shortcut and turn a
blind eye on the law for the sake of a good cause. Although
criticisms are often justified, there is a lack of conditions in
which something can be carried out," Racan said, adding his
government was a democratic, law-abiding government and not a
revolutionary one.
Commenting on the upcoming meeting of SDP leaders and the
leadership of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), about which
he and HSLS president Drazen Budisa will start negotiating next
week, Racan described the coalition relations between the two
parties as "shaken".
The parties' leaders will solve those problems if "they are mature
enough". The SDP still sees no alternative to the six-party
coalition. The only alternative is an election, Racan said.
Today's session of the SDP National Committee was held as part of
preparations for a party election convention. Racan said he would
run again for the position of the party president "if conditions for
running the party, which is now a party in power, and for performing
duties as the Premier are good."
(hina) rml