Adriatic Institute: Five Strategic Areas to Monitor in Croatia by Euro-Atlantic Institutions and Taxpayers

Natasha Srdoc, Chairman of the Adriatic Institute for Public Policy shares recommendations on five strategic areas to monitor in Croatia by Euro-Atlantic Institutions and taxpayers.
 

(see video at the bottom of the transcript)

transcript:

I am Natasha Srdoc, Chairman of Adriatic Institute for Public Policy. I would like to share with you today FIVE BROAD AREAS that NEED to be closely MONITORED IN CROATIA by Euro-Atlantic institutions.

1) ESTABLISHING AN INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY

2) PROTECTION OF PROPERTY RIGHTS

3) FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS

4) FREE MEDIA

5) TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN PUBLIC FINANCES

Let’s start with

1) ESTABLISHING AN INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY

Croatia needs to Reduce the significant backlog of unresolved court cases (around one million of court cases which get recycled by receiving new court numbers when pushed back to the lower courts).

Confiscate illicit enrichment from former and current politicians and cronies based on reverse burden of proof.

Bring Visiting judges and prosecutors (from countries with the strong rule of law tradition) who would assist local honest judges and make sure that 1) the rule of law is upheld, 2) backlogged court cases reduced, 2) restitution of properties confiscated during communism and the past 20 years done, 3) assets amassed through illicit enrichment seized and 3) final convictions handed out in the ongoing cases of political corruption which include money laundry and embezzlement cases involving government officials.

2) PROTECTION OF PROPERTY RIGHTS

Restitution of property confiscated during communism to the original owners.

Property that can not be physically restituted should be compensated through a different asset of the same market value or in cash at market price.

Repeal of the “Golf Law” which proclaims golf activity of strategic value for the country and allowing expropriation of private property for the purpose of building a golf course.

3) FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS

Remove the 917,000 illegal votes from the current voter list.

Change the current Law on political party financing which is protecting the cartel of governing SDP and opposition HDZ including the limitation of donations to newcomers.

Change the rules on political campaigning which is again protecting the cartel of HDZ and SDP. (Political campaign was open for 10 days in the last parliamentary elections - while HDZ and SDP used state-owned media to campaign for three months prior to the election date).

4) FREE MEDIA

Depoliticization of state-owned media or privatization (broadcast TV and radio - HRT, print media Vjesnik).

Eliminating advertising by the state to both state-owned media and commercial media outlets.

Eliminating the criminal offense penalty for journalists which is clearly a deterrent for independent voices to publish and broadcast issues on corruption.

5) TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN PUBLIC FINANCES

Transparent reporting of all government expenditures on the Internet, searchable by amount, beneficiary and purpose.

Transparent reporting of all contracts in which government is a party to a contract on the Internet (privatizations, PPPs, purchases, sales, etc.).

Sanctioning of conflict of interest - confiscation of assets gained by current and former public officials who were abusing their position to obtain illegal monetary gain.

I encourage you to share this video with your professional and social networks. I Thank you for your time.

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