Mesic: If Sanader Must Bear with Me, He Must

PM Sanader today did not wish to continue the dispute with President Mesic, so government’s spokesman gave statements to media.

ZAGREB, CROATIA - - Every speech I make is my speech and whoever gives me information for the speech is an issue for this office and nobody should meddle in that. I am responsible for my answers and I give my answers, not my advisors – Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said today is response to yesterday’s criticism by Prime Minister Ivo Sanader regarding his speech in which he harshly criticised the government and its economic (un)successes.

Who wrote his speech?

At the opening of the 81^st International Autumn Zagreb Fair, Mesic held a traditional speech for business people in which he slammed the government’s acts and measures that he said were rather unsuccessful and accused the government for inflation and its growth, as well as for selling “the family silver”, that is, the “golden goose”, the Ina oil company.

- The selling of property continues and exports production is stagnating. Why is Ina being sold and why are we giving up control over resources when all the rest are fighting for such control? – Mesic wondered.

Regarding the decrease of  prices in shops, he said it was a palliative measure and that production for export should be the most important economic project.

Prime Minister Sanader, who spent yesterday in Brussels, did not wait long to respond to Mesic’s criticism. He gave as good as he got.

- Probably some of his advisors wrote his speech, but we will bare with them for another year – Sanader said.

Mesic said yesterday that this statement was below the belt.

‘Perhaps Sanader is not informed’ 

But today, it seems that a had of reconciliation was being extended to the government.

- Perhaps the prime minister was not completely informed about my speech, so he made such a statement. I am for talking about the facts. I said what I had said a year ago. We can talk about it and, if I perhaps do not have the right information, then I am fully prepared to take the consequences. If I provided wrong information, I think I would apologise – Mesic said.

He also commented on Sanader’s statement that he would have “to bare them for another year”.

- If somebody has to bare me, then they have to bare me – he said.

Mesic is convinced that this is not a tensing of relations between the president’s office and the government, but that, since he was in Brussels, the prime minister did not hear the speech from the Fair in whole.

Mehun: Sanader will not debate with Mesic via the media 

- So he reacted harshly – Mesic concluded.

He added that Prime Minister Sanader, if he wanted to criticise his speech at the Fair, he should turn to him and not his advisors because he wrote his speeches himself.

But today in parliament Sanader did not want to comment on Mesic’s new statements for the media.

- The prime minister really has no intention to hold a debate with the president via the media – government spokesman Zlako Mehun said briefly.