CROATIA: Croatian Prime Minister Mr Ivica Racan stepped down yesterday following a rift with the second largest partner in his five-party coalition, bringing to an end the country's first government since nationalists left power two and a half years ago.
However, as leader of the coalition's leading Social Democrats (SDP), Mr Racan is likely to stay on as prime minister and try to form a minority government without the Social Liberals (HSLS).
"During the past few months, the coalition was spending more and more time solving problems that were emerging within it," rather than dealing with urgent economic issues, Mr Racan said in an address broadcast on national television and radio.
"The situation culminated last week when a part of the coalition blocked the government's work and hampered the parliament," he said. Mr Racan was referring to a parliamentary walkout by the HSLS last week in protest at a vote to ratify an agreement on joint ownership of a communist-era nuclear power plant in neighbouring Slovenia.
He said the actions of the HSLS had put the government's achievements in jeopardy.
"In that moment I had to say: 'We can no longer continue like this.' The fate of the citizens of this country is more important than mine or anyone else's political career and that is why I resigned today," he said.
Racan hinted that he wanted to form a caretaker government until elections scheduled for early 2004.
"I am ready to contribute to a new, more constructive coalition government ... providing of course that I win the support of the president and the parliament," he said. - (AFP)