ZAGREB, March 12 (Hina) - The Government will undergo reconstruction and three bills regulating that issue will be discussed by the Government next week, Premier Zlatko Matesa told the Croatian National Sabor's Lower House on Friday.
The main goal of the reshuffle is for the Government to be smaller, more efficient and cheaper, Matesa said in the continuation of today's session, which also discussed confidence in the newly-appointed ministers of science and agriculture, Milena Zic-Fuchs and Ivan Djurkic. Almost all Opposition benches expressed reservations about the new ministers, stressing that it was not the ministers they were against, but the programmes they were implementing. Speaking about the Government reshuffle, Matesa said the issue should not be mystified, however, before certain decisions were implemented, changes to some laws had to be voted on in parliament. Responding to objections about
ZAGREB, March 12 (Hina) - The Government will undergo
reconstruction and three bills regulating that issue will be
discussed by the Government next week, Premier Zlatko Matesa told
the Croatian National Sabor's Lower House on Friday.
The main goal of the reshuffle is for the Government to be smaller,
more efficient and cheaper, Matesa said in the continuation of
today's session, which also discussed confidence in the newly-
appointed ministers of science and agriculture, Milena Zic-Fuchs
and Ivan Djurkic.
Almost all Opposition benches expressed reservations about the new
ministers, stressing that it was not the ministers they were
against, but the programmes they were implementing.
Speaking about the Government reshuffle, Matesa said the issue
should not be mystified, however, before certain decisions were
implemented, changes to some laws had to be voted on in parliament.
Responding to objections about small funds of some ministries,
Matesa said one should not forget Croatia had certain obligations
others did not have. He then reminded of reconstruction costs and
Homeland War victims and invalids.
Although the share of the Science and Agriculture Ministries in the
budget have had the speediest increase in the last several years, we
have to agree that it is not enough, however, there are objective
limitations, the Premier said.
Answering to objections that the new ministers are not offering
their own programmes, Matesa said that programmes are defined by
political parties, which go in the elections with those programmes.
Governments are the executive authority which implements those
programmes, and that is why there are no special political
programmes by ministers. This will be the same after each
elections, Matesa said.
Ivan Jakovcic of the Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS) and Antun
Vujic of the Social-Democratic Party (SDP) said it was not the
ministers themselves they opposed but the programmes they
implemented.
The IDS will not support the new ministers because it does not
believe they could influence changes in the overall Government
policy, although the party does expect that they will contribute
with their work to positive changes. Jakovcic also believes that
the situation in agriculture has never been worse and not even a
minister with an excellent career can change it because the overall
Government policy is wrong.
SDP's Vujic stressed that a science minister implementing HDZ's
(Croatian Democratic Union) policy with 0.5 per cent funds for
science gives no reason for confidence.
The Croatian Social-Liberal Party (HSLS) cannot support the new
ministers, said Djurdja Adlesic, asking why the Government had not
been reconstructed. Srecko Bijelic (Croatian People's Party,
HNS/Istrian Democratic Forum, IDF) insisted on an answer to the
same question, because he believed it was not appropriate that
Croatia should have more ministries than Germany. Bijelic
announced that his bench would abstain in the vote of confidence in
the new ministers.
The Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS) will abstain in the vote on the
new Agriculture Minister, said Petar Sarcevic. This may be viewed
as HSS's protest against the lack of willingness to change the
situation in agriculture but the HSS will not obstruct the work of
the new minister; it will rather support his attempts to change the
current situation, Sarcevic said.
Anto Djapic of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) said the view of
his party in confirming the new Agriculture Minister would depend
on answers to the question of Croatia's admission to European
associations, primarily the World Trade Organisation.
Marko Miljevic (independent MP) and Slavko Vuksic (Party of
Croatian Plain, SHR) announced their support for Djurkic
requesting that the Agriculture Ministry move to Osijek.
(hina) rml