SABOR SPEAKER: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - PRIORITY IN 2001

KRIZEVCI, Dec 28 (Hina) - Croatian Parliament President Zlatko Tomcic said on Thursday that all Croatian citizens, primarily the ruling six-party coalition, as the most responsible factor for the country's future, had to resolve burning economic issues next year. Tomcic made the statement on Mt Kalnik near Krizevci, where he opened the world's first biblical Garden of Peace. According to Tomcic, this policy should be endorsed also by the parties which are not in power. Apart from the support of the Opposition, the country also needs the support of the media and the public in general, Tomcic said. Playing up irregularities and mistakes from the past, which in some cases are hypothetical, creates an unhealthy atmosphere in the society, he said. "I personally wish that we leave every segment of Croatian authority and the entire system to do their job and that all of us, especially the ruling coalition, turn to resolving important issues concerning the citizens' living standards. The authorities must find the strength to systematically deal with all economic and social problems and give the people new hope, Tomcic told reporters. (hina) rml