ZAGREB, June 25 (Hina) - The Croatian Government Public and Media Relations Office on Friday released a statement saying Prime Minister Zlatko Matesa and Agriculture Minister Ivan Djurkic had received a letter by the Croatian Farmers'
Association (HSS) announcing protests of farmers for Saturday. The association is urging the Government to adopt an agreement on long-term urgent measures for the rehabilitation of agriculture. According to the letter, Croatian farmers will block roads and border crossings on Saturday. The Government believes the announced protests are illegal despite the right to peaceful assembly and public protest, which is guaranteed by the Constitution. According to the Government, the announced protests are contrary to the Law on Public Assembly, and road blocks are contrary to the Law on Traffic Safety on Roads and the Penal Law. Also, the Government believes that the protests wo
ZAGREB, June 25 (Hina) - The Croatian Government Public and Media
Relations Office on Friday released a statement saying Prime
Minister Zlatko Matesa and Agriculture Minister Ivan Djurkic had
received a letter by the Croatian Farmers' Association (HSS)
announcing protests of farmers for Saturday.
The association is urging the Government to adopt an agreement on
long-term urgent measures for the rehabilitation of agriculture.
According to the letter, Croatian farmers will block roads and
border crossings on Saturday.
The Government believes the announced protests are illegal despite
the right to peaceful assembly and public protest, which is
guaranteed by the Constitution.
According to the Government, the announced protests are contrary to
the Law on Public Assembly, and road blocks are contrary to the Law
on Traffic Safety on Roads and the Penal Law.
Also, the Government believes that the protests would be
detrimental to Croatia's interests, because a considerable number
of foreign tourists are expected to arrive and the protests would
threaten their safety. The announced road blocks may jeopardise the
tourist season and compromise the country's reputation, and are
therefore not acceptable as a form of protest, the statement said.
The Government also reminds that it is bound by the guaranteed
rights of individuals and associations to peaceful gatherings and
public protests from the Constitution, but it believes it is
necessary to warn that in Croatia, as in any other democratic
country with the rule of law, such gatherings are regulated in
detail by legal provisions.
The Ministry of Agriculture on Friday rejected demands by the HSS
explaining that some of those requests have already been met,
whereas some others were unfounded.
The HSS had requested that a ban be imposed on the import of all
agricultural products of which there are sufficient amounts on the
Croatian market from domestic production. They also demanded
urgent payment of claims for last year's harvest and the change of
the purchase price of wheat from this year's yields to US$0.18.
(hina) jn rml