ZAGREB, March 27 (Hina) - Commenting on the first 100 days of the government's term of office, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said the government had confirmed and convinced Europe and the rest of the international community that it
was pursuing a European policy and doing all to join the European Union and NATO.
ZAGREB, March 27 (Hina) - Commenting on the first 100 days of the
government's term of office, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said the
government had confirmed and convinced Europe and the rest of the
international community that it was pursuing a European policy and
doing all to join the European Union and NATO.#L#
"However, the expected internal decisions regarding the creation of
new jobs and economic revival were not made. I expect the government
to work on this in the continuation of the term. I again propose
opening free zones, attracting foreign capital and technology, and
creating new jobs," Mesic told reporters during a meeting with
citizens at his office.
Mesic expects the government to continue the implementation of
infrastructure projects, primarily highways, implement a project for
the reception of liquid gas, create conditions for some two billion
dollar worth of foreign investments, build ships for foreign partners,
and participate in emerging markets.
Asked to comment on his cooperation with the government, Mesic said he
believed it was satisfactory and that he had a particularly good
cooperation with the prime minister.
He voiced opposition to any political purges. "I support competent
people being given important positions without party exclusivity, but
unfortunately, a lot of the things that are happening make me sad".
Asked to comment on replacements in the health sector, in particular
the case of Josip Paladino, director of the Zagreb Clinical Hospital,
as well as in the Health Insurance Agency, Croatian Railways, the
Employment Bureau and port authorities, Mesic said that he was not
against insufficiently competent people being replaced with more
competent ones. He added, however, that someone's lack of competence
should be established under regular procedure.
Speaking about the Croatian army, Mesic said that the process of
depoliticising the armed forces was almost completed. He called for
the adoption of a law which would regulate which positions were
subject to transfer of authority after elections.
The president also supported the adoption of a law regulating the
payment of election campaigns in parliamentary and presidential polls.
Asked if the Croatian Army's Chief Inspector, Milivoj Petkovic, would
be retired if he was indicted by the war crimes tribunal in The Hague,
Mesic said that General Petkovic was not under the jurisdiction of the
Armed Forces' Main Staff but the Ministry of Defence, and that only
the government could relieve him of duty, or he could be retired by
decision of the President.
"Since General Petkovic will be retired under regular procedure in a
few months, I think there is no point in speculating about whether he
will be indicted," Mesic said.
He also said that Petkovic had confirmed to him that he would resign
and retire if the tribunal summonsed him as a suspect or indictee.
(Hina) rml sb