ZAGREB, July 18 (Hina) - Parliamentary benches of the ruling coalition and the Istrian Democratic Assembly on Friday endorsed a government report on the privatisation of the oil company INA, commending the successful sale of its
shares to Hungary's MOL and slamming the opposition benches for refusing to participate in today's debate.
ZAGREB, July 18 (Hina) - Parliamentary benches of the ruling
coalition and the Istrian Democratic Assembly on Friday endorsed a
government report on the privatisation of the oil company INA,
commending the successful sale of its shares to Hungary's MOL and
slamming the opposition benches for refusing to participate in
today's debate. #L#
Parliament thus wrapped the 35th extraordinary session. President
Zlatko Tomcic announced the autumn sitting was very likely to begin
before the deadline set by the Constitution -- 15 September.
Debating the INA report, all ruling coalition benches
congratulated the government on selling 25 percent plus one share
in the company at what they said was the best moment and at the best
price it could negotiate. The sale will enable Croatia's biggest
company to develop further, they said.
Goranko Fizulic of Libra congratulated the government on the
political courage to privatise the country's largest firm just
before elections.
Ante Markov of the Croatian Peasant Party said the strategic goal
had not been to sell INA but further Croatia's economy, consolidate
it and make it export-oriented.
Markov said the law had been fully complied with in the INA
privatisation and hoped the legal obligation to allocate shares to
INA workers would also be acted on.
The ruling benches criticised the opposition -- Croatian
Democratic Union, Social Liberals, Party of Rights/Christian
Democrats, Democratic Centre -- for deciding to boycott
parliament's work today because their demand, to debate the
privatisation of INA before the government decided to sell, was
turned down.
Mato Arlovic of the Social Democrats said this party did not accept
the "opposition's imputations" that the government had been
selling the INA shares "behind (parliament's) back". The whole
venture was transparent and in line with the law, he said.
Vesna Pusic of the Croatian People's Party pointed the finger at the
opposition for being absent from today's session. "Every time
Croatia makes a step towards developed Europe and the free market
you are not here. That's why we shall do it alone."
The only opposition MP present was Milan Kovac of the Croatian Bloc
who said the government, by selling stock in INA, had broken the
Constitution and the law because it did not first privatise shares
that belonged to war veterans and INA workers.
(hina) ha