The head of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) parliamentary group, Jadranka Kosor, on Thursday requested that Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic address the parliament on last night's arrests of protesting milk farmers, insisting that Milanovic do so despite the fact that Minister of the Interior Ranko Ostojic was in parliament.
After a break in today's parliament session requested by the HDZ, the HDSSB and the IDS, Kosor urged Speaker Boris Sprem to invite PM Milanovic to the parliamentary session to explain why protesting milk farmers were arrested in Zagreb last night and what the government intended to do regarding their demands.
"There is intense fear among the protesters and farmers which they have difficulty expressing. We (the previous government) were also faced with farmers' protests, but we did not arrest anyone in the middle of the night or outside the public eye," Kosor said.
Kosor's statement prompted Dinko Buric of the HDSSB party to say that farmers had still not forgotten how they had been treated by the previous government, including hassles with the police at Vinkovci.
"I can't help thinking that your hypocrisy knows no bounds. You'd better not speak," Buric said.
Damir Kajin of the Istrian Democratic Party (IDS) said he understood the protesting milk farmers, but believed that there was no reason to use force against them.
Kajin said he saw no reason why PM Milanovic should address the parliament on the ongoing protests, the more so as the previous parliament had settled for ministers' addresses in similar situations.
Speaking to reporters outside the parliament, Minister of the Interior Ranko Ostojic said the police had the right to arrest the protesting farmers who yesterday used their tractors to block Slavonska Avenue, one of Zagreb's arterial roads, because they resisted attempts to remove the roadblocks.
He said the police arrested 29 farmers and that measures of coercion were used against only three of the protesters.
"They all have been released and misdemeanor charges will be pressed against them."
Ostojic said that he did not address the parliament on the matter because it had been decided that there was no need for his address.
"I believe that it is important for the parliament to obtain information on what happened in Slavonska Avenue last night, but they would not listen to what I had to say," Ostojic said.
