VILLAGES' ASSOCIATION FORWARDS LETTER ABOUT PROTESTS TO TUDJMAN

ZAGREB, June 29 (Hina) - The "Stjepan Sulimanac" Villages' Association and the presidents of its county branches on Tuesday held a session on the occasion of current farmers' protests in Croatia. The association assessed that difficulties in agriculture cannot be eliminated by blocking roads because, they believe, this inflicts major material and political damage to both farmers and the state. For the association, the solution to the extant problems in agriculture lies in a consistent implementation of the conclusions the parliament's House of Representatives reached in May 1996 and November 1998. This implementation, they said, is under government jurisdiction. The association forwarded a letter to Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, saying that "given that the organiser of the road blockage is a political party, it is perfectly clear that this is a case of political abuse aimed at winning political points across farmers' backs by demagogic means. "This act on the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS) leadership's part is all the more hypocritical when considering that this party was invited on several occasions to propose its candidate for the minister of agriculture, and thus on the highest level participate in truly solving the problems in Croatian agriculture. "The fact that they did not accept it only confirms that the HSS leadership does not genuinely care for improving the situation in agriculture, but for gaining cheap political points. The huge majority of Croatian farmers who refused to serve (HSS president Zlatko) Tomcic's demagogic games is aware of this." The association appealed to President Tudjman to exert his authority to urge the payment of sugar-beet manufacturers in Virovitica, and to ensure that in the future, state duties to agricultural manufacturers be paid regularly and without mediators. The association also asked the President to receive them. (hina) ha