PEASANTS ANNOUNCE PROTESTS AND REQUEST GOVERNMENT RESIGNATION

ZAGREB, May 27 (Hina) - The Croatian Peasants' Alliance (HSS) will repeat a protest rally as the Government had not reached a decision on their requests, forwarded to Prime Minister Zlatko Matesa, and Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ivan Djurkic, at a meeting on May 18, HSS leaders said. Due to this and the overall situation in agriculture, the HSS holds the Government must resign or schedule elections before time. HSS president Petar Jurisic said the protest will be staged before wheat reaping and will not be previously announced. Deputy president Darko Grivicic, said the rally would take place in towns, not villages and local roads as on May 18. The HSS also requested of the Government to urgently pay all debts for last year's produce, to decrease the price of oil for farmers and fishermen, to forbid the import of agricultural products which are sufficient as domestic products and to increase the price of this year's wheat produce. On May 18, the HSS organised protest blockades of roads and the same day HSS leaders were received by Matesa and Djurkic, but an agreement on the farmers' requests had not been reached. The HSS said the Government had two days to fulfil their requests or they would organise protests. (hina) lml