G. GRANIC: GOVERNMENT DOES NOT RADICALISE POLITICAL SITUATION

ZAGREB, Sept 27 (Hina) - The Government does not radicalise the political scene, and why you from the HDZ are doing it, you should give an answer, said Croatia's First Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic, responding to a question of Ivo Sanader - the HDZ President - who asked why the Government with its moves was radicalising the situation and polarising the people. During question time at the House of Representatives on Wednesday, reacting upon Sanader's claim that the Croatian Television (HTV) had presented Catholic Bishops' message in a biased and tendentious manner in favour of the ruling regime and that therefore the HDZ - the strongest opposition party - was disatisfied, Granic said: "Our dissatisfaction with the television's work is greater than yours." A deputy of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), Zeljko Pavlica wondered what the incumbent Government had done as regards the issue of money which "tycoons and bankars of all sorts" had taken out of Croatia. A Deputy Premier, Slavko Linic, said the Government was now carrying out investiagations in cases connected with corruption, but only after the completion of the probes it would be known how much money had been embezzled from state budgets and the country. Efforts are being taken to strengthen institutions which should tackle the matter, Linic said adding that proposlas in this sense would be elaborated by the end of this year. (hina) jn ms