After four nongovernmental organisations criticised Deputy Prime Minister Branko Grcic for speculating on the implications of the court judgment in the case of loans tied to the Swiss franc and for openly siding with a banking lobby, Grcic said on Wednesday that the crucial part of his statement had been left out, namely that he never commented on court judgments.
"I can only say briefly that there has been noise in the communication channel," Grcic told the press in the government office when asked to comment on the claim by the four NGOs that he and the government had succumbed to the pressure from the banks following a meeting between bankers and the government.
Grcic said that the crucial part of his statement had not been quoted by the media, namely that when he was asked whether the court judgment in this case would undermine the financial stability of the country he replied that he could not comment on court judgments.
"Unfortunately, the media did not carry that part of my statement," Grcic said. "There is no way the government or any member of the government would comment on court judgments," he added.
When asked to comment on the claim by the NGOs that they had learned of the meeting between the government and the bankers from the media, Grcic said that meetings with any relevant groups, such as bankers, trade unions or employers, could be either formal or informal. He asked the press whether they knew that last week he had had a meeting with ten union leaders on progress in pre-bankruptcy settlement cases and a meeting with employers regarding their recommendations to the government.
Asked if he would meet with representatives of the Franak association, which represents people who have taken out loans pegged to the Swiss franc at the recommendation of their banks, Grcic said there was no doubt that he would hear all relevant participants in all important events in the country, but that it had nothing to do with the separation of powers into three branches of government.
(Hina)
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