Marinko Culic of the Split weekly Feral Tribune discusses in the August 4, 1997 issue of the magazine the changing role of some of the yop military people in Croatia, and their attempts to get involved in domestic politics.There is an ongoing battle for key positions within the authority system in Croatia. After the elections, and taking of positions in the legislative authority, as well as regional and city parliaments, at the center of clashes today are the governmet, its state ministries and other vital departments, as well as state and public companies whic it oversees or conducts their operation. Added to this the announced intra-party elections in the ruling Croatian Democratic Community, wich should probably define the testament and the team of successors which will put it into effect.It is at the same time evident that there are many of those that will try to squeeze in at any price into the list of inheritors, or at least to try to undermine the positions of those that will be promoted by Franjo Tudjman.
That the government is not the place in which there could be reconciliation of confronted interests and hold under control the uncompromising horns in the HDZ sack is indicated by the formation of the Council for Strategic decision on /the island of/ Brioni. It is hardly conceivable that along with the Parliament, government and all other possible state and other institutions for the creation and conduct of macro and micro economic policy, it is possible for ten selected wise men to decide in a professional and competend manner about the strategic questions. Their role can be no other but to give an OK to an already prepared decision, that is break a deadlock in the cases of uncompromisingly confronted lobbies and their interests within the HDZ regime.
And, a lot of such confrontations has accumulated in the recent period. The factions and lobbies that have established the control over the army, police and other muscular state affairs during the war years have begun to lose their power. Pushing themselves forward are those who during the war years took care of state and their own economic affairs and companies. They have capital, or are managing it, so they are starting to dominate the key processes in the society. The transfer of rule and might frome one group to the other cannot pass without the smell of gun powder, mutual traps, and different behind-the-scene games.
Recent poking of Jure Radic into tjhe operation of Croatia osiguranje /the main insurance company/, the personnel war concerning the Rijeka port, and the correspondence between Slavonia-Baranja region hear Branimir Glavas and the minister of economy Nenad Porges, are the newest episodes of the winds of HDZ war. In each case, the name of the game is a large sum of money and power, particularly if they are added to the previously garnered piles. Croatia osiguranje has already become the constant element of internal HDZ qubbles, because it is possible to sponsor a lot of things with its live money, you could also buy followers, fans and lobbyists, within the regime and outside of it. Every personnel change at the top of the largest Croatian insurance company has also brought along the new routes in the circulation of the sponsors money, and has weakened, that is, strengthened the influence of its tracers.
The quickstep change of the executive board and the CEOs in the Rijeka port is a school example of mutual eye poking of the two HDZ factions. It is quite possible that the Council for Strategic Decisions will soon arbitrate in the clash concerning the Rijeka port, as it discussed on its first session, under the influence of Hrvoje Sarinic, a concession decision given to a French company. At the same time that the complete change of the Istria HDZ leadership occured, and a new perky cadres were promoted, the Council, under the guidance of Franjo Tudjman, attempted to initiate works on the Istri problem, so to take the stone off the neck of Istria HDZ, which are held in a minority position in the electoral body there due to the postponement of the building of the Istria highway.
In difference to Istria HDZ, the Slavonia region head Branimir Glavas is by himself paying attention about his position in the electoral body. Faithfully copying Tudjmans guerilla tactics of sudden attacks and retreats when it gets too heated up in the relations with the international community, Glavas has this kind on an approach towards the state and party top. At the same time, he sticks on his flag the slogans about regional and party interests, the same qway Tudjman does by stressing Croatian national and state interests in his relations with the world.
This time too, Glavas entered the conflict with the Goods Reserve Department of the Ministry of Economy in the name of the interests of Osijek sugar producers, who want a higher price than the one that is currently set on the Croatian market. Pointing the finger at the state administration, and those in it who have, in the name of somebodys interest, allowed the import of raw materials through the port of Ploce, and in that manner allowed the enlarged production of sugar and lowering of its price, he presents in an even stronger manner the right of the Osijek sugar producers to sell their sugar at a price that was previosly designated by the government, and whith which they would cover their operation.
With his newest coup Glavas, besides guarding the position acquired during the war, shows that it is clear to him how he has to grab his part of the cake in the post-war division of economic power.
Keeping quiet about the whole truth concerning the transfer of sugar through the port of Ploce, and not naming those that sweetened themselves with this deal, Glavas is actually seeking the re-division of the cake within the family, since it probably concerns a group that he does not really hate that much. Strengthening his position as Slavonias Tudjman, Glavas at the same time pays attention not to destroy the foundations on which he is standing now.
Source: Split weekly Feral Tribune, August 4, 1997
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