RULING HDZ'S PRESIDENCY DISCUSSES GOVT RESHUFFLE

ZAGREB, Feb 24 (Hina) - The Presidency of Croatia's ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) on Wednesday held a session in Zagreb chaired by Croatian and party President Franjo Tudjman. According to a statement from the HDZ Main Secretary's Office, the Presidency discussed the continuation of a government reshuffle. The Presidency obligated the government to forward into parliamentary procedure, in the shortest possible time, a bill on changes and amendments to the law on the organisation and jurisdiction of ministries and government administrative bodies. These changes are indispensable for the announced government reshuffle, the statement said. The HDZ Presidency concluded the purpose of the reshuffle was to rationalise government administrative bodies and increase government effectiveness. Another purpose, the statement said, is to implement a previously announced decentralisation of some state institutions, i.e. their re-deployment to county centres throughout Croatia. Also discussed were current foreign policy issues. The ruling party's Presidency decided the parliament's House of Representatives should in its conclusions reiterate Croatia's energetic objection to the European Union's so called regional approach. The session also tackled the current situation in economy, especially in the banking sector. The Presidency concluded a special meeting should be convened as soon as possible to discuss concrete measures for resolving current crisis issues. (hina) ha mm