Asked to comment on accusations that he and Administration Minister Davorin Mlakar, acting on Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor's orders, were trying to prevent in any way the holding of a referendum against Labour Act amendments, Karamarko said the "accusations are absurd, they have nothing to do with reality".

"On parliament's orders, we analysed the collected signatures without going into the content or the referendum's questions, and we found irregularities," he said, adding the referendum law "is incredibly strict and precise with regard to signature collecting".

Asked if former PM Ivo Sanader's protected person status would be revoked, Karamarko said the status was extended twice, to six-month periods, during which time there was nothing that would indicate that he was in danger.

The minister said estimates showed that such a measure could be taken, adding that it should not be politicised or linked with Sanader's recent visit to Austria.

Responding to a question from the press, Karamarko said former President Stjepan Mesic had security too and that under the law, he would continue to have it.

The minister would not answer questions about an investigation into the Hypo bank, saying the Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime was in charge of that, or say if there was an investigation into how Sanader could have bought a BMW.

Karamarko would not say if something was being done regarding an attempt to bribe a Supreme Court judge in the case of Branimir Glavas, a fugitive politician convicted of war crimes. The minister said he would be able to talk about some things once they were over.