Speaking to reporters, DC leader Vesna Skare Ozbolt warned that non-transparent and legally questionable public procurement procedures were stalling Croatia's economic development, which she said was the reason why the European Commission was still not opening negotiations with Croatia on the policy chapter on public procurement.
She urged the government to send to parliament a new bill on public procurement and make public the 2006 report of the State Office for the Supervision of Public Procurement Procedures. Business people and foreign investors believe the report is worse than the one for 2005, but their criticism and dissatisfaction, notably with rigged tenders and corruption, is not reaching the government because "they are afraid of losing the opportunity to ever again close deals with the state", Skare Ozbolt said.