ZAGREB, 19 January, 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Tuesday that less than two percent of houses reconstructed in Sisak-Moslavina County after the Homeland War have been found unfit to live in following a 6.2 magnitude earthquake on 29 December.
Organised post-war reconstruction in Sisak-Moslavina County referred to 5,880 houses belonging in the categories IV to VI (most extensive damage) and 3,761 of them have now been inspected and of that number, 69 or 1.83% have been declared unfit for use while 175 are temporarily unfit for use, the PM said during Question Time in parliament, in response to criticism by MP Dalija Orešković (Centre Party).
"You were among the first crying out for an inquiry commission that was supposed to identify HDZ as the main culprit for all the wrongdoing in post-war reconstruction," Plenković told Orešković who 'admitted' that he was not personally responsible for the reinforcements and steel 'that were stolen', but called him out for being personally responsible for undermining the independence of state institutions during his term in office.
Give me one example, he retorted, recalling that the prosecutorial authorities had launched an investigation into HDZ state-secretary Josipa Rimac just one month ahead of the parliamentary election, and after the elections into the head of a public company and two MPs. "Has anyone told institutions - in the case of (Požega mayor and HDZ MP Darko) Puljašić and (Sisak-Moslavina County) prefect Žinić, don't meddle in that?", Plenković told Orešković.
No one is untouchable
"Anyone for whom that is still not clear must be told that no one is untouchable and that is why your political theories... don't hold water," said Plenković.
The prime minister answered negatively when asked by MP Tomislav Tomašević (We Can!) if he believes that Croatia belongs to the HDZ or that people who oppose the HDZ are against the state.
"Of course we don't think that. Do we believe that our political opponents are destroying the state - no, but we are here to prevent the destruction of state institutions," said Plenković, citing in that context the attitude towards the Red Cross.
"Is it normal to have a slur campaign against the Red Cross, I don't think it is, I opposed it and will continue to oppose it," Plenković said.
