HDZ GENERAL CONVENTON ADOPTS POLICY DECLARATION

( Editorial: --> 3861 ) ZAGREB, Feb 22 (Hina) - The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) has fulfilled all of its essential promises and it faces new tasks in achieving basic national goals, the HDZ said in a party Policy Declaration, adopted unanimously at its fourth general convention in Zagreb on Sunday. The HDZ must find effective answers to difficult economic and social challenges and it pledges to do all it can to direct the entire economic and social policy towards a solution to the problem of unemployment, creation of new jobs and an improvement of living standards, the Declaration reads. The Government and other bodies of state and local authority must do everything to boost production and export, to secure better and more effective use of the country's natural potential, especially its scientific and other human resources, the document reads. One must do everything possible to increase savings and investments and decrease the share of overall spending in the gross national product; to increase the investment in human resources and decrease investments in defence and state administration; and to complete the privatisation process more resolutely. As regards social challenges, the HDZ is aware that it has a lot to do, as soon as possible and as effectively as possible, in harmonising the system of market economy and free entrepreneurship with the demands of the social state and principles of social justice. "Responsible Croatian people, especially state officials, should feel both an official and moral obligation to prevent the reckless acquiring of wealth by individuals as well as all other forms of unbridled capitalism," the Declaration reads. The HDZ pledges to take all legal and other measures as early as this year, to secure an increase in the salaries of workers and all employees, and especially an increase in pensions. The party has also announced a "ruthless war against bureaucracy and clerical self-will, and against all forms of illegality and violation of the rights of citizens and legal interests of the state", paying special attention to any lack of will in preventing economic crime, bribery and corruption. The Declaration obliges the HDZ to do all it can to enable every young person to find a job as soon as possible and with state help, by using favourable housing loans, to solve their housing problems. The HDZ supports the full territorial and spiritual integration of the Croatian people, the accelerated return of Croatian emigrants, the country's demographic revival and its integration into European associations. The HDZ strongly opposes any regional exclusiveness as well as autonomous-separatist movements and requests because they are contrary to the vital interests of the people and state and the legal order and because they originate not only from the legacy of the past but from foreign interests as well, the Declaration reads. (hina) jn rm 222108 MET feb 98