ZAGREB, March 26 (Hina) - The extent of corruption puts Croatia in the middle among Central European Initiative (CEI) countries, Croatian parliament president Zlatko Tomcic said in Zagreb on Sunday. The situation in CEI countries is
chequered, and Croatia is neither at the top nor at the bottom, but somewhere in the middle of the list as regards the corruption issue, Tomcic said upon returning from Warsaw. Tomcic and Croatian House of Counties president Katica Ivanisevic attended a conference at which CEI parliament presidents discussed the corruption issue, and the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe. According to Tomcic, the Warsaw conference established that countries in transition especially were burdened by corruption and an illegal functioning of the financial market. The conclusion was that parliaments of countries most seriously encumbered by the problem should co-operate in f
ZAGREB, March 26 (Hina) - The extent of corruption puts Croatia in
the middle among Central European Initiative (CEI) countries,
Croatian parliament president Zlatko Tomcic said in Zagreb on
Sunday.
The situation in CEI countries is chequered, and Croatia is neither
at the top nor at the bottom, but somewhere in the middle of the list
as regards the corruption issue, Tomcic said upon returning from
Warsaw.
Tomcic and Croatian House of Counties president Katica Ivanisevic
attended a conference at which CEI parliament presidents discussed
the corruption issue, and the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe.
According to Tomcic, the Warsaw conference established that
countries in transition especially were burdened by corruption and
an illegal functioning of the financial market. The conclusion was
that parliaments of countries most seriously encumbered by the
problem should co-operate in finding joint legislative measures
and joint methods of penalising this form of crime.
Tomcic conceded Croatia does not have efficient mechanisms to fight
the current presence of bribery and corruption.
He announced he would launch an initiative to "settle in a
completely clear way the issue of penalising state officials in
cases when it is proven that they have taken part in any illegal
transactions which we call bribe and corruption, starting with a
code of behaviour for state officials, and the passing of certain
legal regulations."
Tomcic said some countries, in discussing the Stability Pact,
voiced dissatisfaction with its functioning, but declined to say
which countries he referred to. It is expected parliament
presidents of the Pact's countries will convene in Zagreb before
the summer, he announced.
Upper House president Ivanisevic is returning to Zagreb on Monday,
since there were no tickets for the Sunday Lufthansa flight Tomcic
arrived on, parliament public relations secretary Zeljko Sabol
said.
(hina) ha