CRO PARLIAMENT CONSIDERS EMPLOYING DEFENDERS A PRIORITY

( Editorial: --> 6496 ) ZAGREB, Oct 7 (Hina) - Unemployment of demobilised defenders is a pressing issue, MP's in the Croatian National Sabor's (Parliament) House of Representatives stressed during Wednesday discussions about the implementation of the Law on the Rights of Croatian Homeland War Defenders. MP's expressed their doubts regarding the Government's claims that 26 per cent of demobilised defenders had been employed in the past year. Representatives believe that all relevant data has not been included. It is considered that the unemployment problem of Croatian defenders can be resolved primarily by offering them self- employment opportunities via loans from the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development as well as by granting them farming land. The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) bench supported proposals to ensure additional funds from next year's state budget in an effort to adhere to the national programme to employ defenders. Istrian Democratic Assembly's (IDS) bench was especially critical towards voucher privatisation and stated that defenders and Homeland War victims had actually served as a means for someone to take over the management of about 600 companies. The Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS) bench warned about the frauds regarding land issues stating that land was granted to some people who had not been defenders at all while some defenders could not be granted land. MP's discussed unemployed defenders who did not have any form of income and enquired about programmes to employ defenders in state and local government bodies. The Liberal Party (LS) considers that good results have been achieved in resolving housing issues for defenders reminding however, that the cost of building had increased by 15 per cent as a result of the introduction of the Value Added Tax. Representatives of the Croatian Pure Party of Rights (HCSP) and the Croatian Christian-Democratic Party (HKDS) pointed out to the 2,000 suicides committed by Homeland War defenders. However, a representative of the Homeland War Defenders' Ministry denied these allegations. A series of criticisms were directed regarding the inadequate media coverage of the exhumation and burials of victims found in mass graves in Vukovar. (Hina) sp jn/rml 071718 MET oct 98