Any violence is inadmissible, we will consider amending inadequate solutions in the Criminal Procedure Act

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Friday the government would consider the Uljanik shipyard management board's selection of Brodosplit as its strategic partner, adding that a restructuring plan must be approved in line with European acquis communautaire guidelines.

Asked by the press in Sibenik if the government would settle Uljanik's debts given that Brodosplit owner Tomislav Debeljak said he wanted to invest in development and not service the dock's debts, Plenkovic said the government would consider Uljanik's selection of Brodosplit as a strategic partner.

He reiterated that over the past two months the government paid HRK 2.8 billion in enforced guarantees for the Uljanik Group. "We could have declared at the end of November that we had a budget surplus had the government not been exposed due to decisions of previous governments, had Croatia invested in shipbuilding for 30 years."

The prime minister said a restructuring plan for the Uljanik Group must be viable and enable its Uljanik and 3. Maj docks to operate under market basics. He said he was convinced that the two docks' workers and local residents realised how much had been invested.

He said the Economy Ministry would make a complete analysis and reiterated that the restructuring plan must be approved in line with European  acquis guidelines.

The prime minister also strongly condemned an incident in a Zadar high school in which one student used a heated lighter to brand a fellow female and a fellow male student with the letter U. "I'm more than appalled."

He also commented on a Zadar County Court panel's decision to release Darko Kovacevic from custody and reject precautionary measures until a verdict against him becomes final. Kovacevic was sentenced to five years in prison pending appeal earlier this year for physically assaulting a former girlfriend.

"A few weeks ago we said we would consider certain inadequate solutions in the Criminal Procedure Act. This is the panel's decision and I don't know based on what they turned down those measures. It's hard for me to understand this. We must have a balance regarding the accused, but we must also see to the rights of victims," Plenkovic said.

Text: Hina

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