"The law is the same for everyone. If the law says something is confidential, this has to be respected. Besides, the law has protection mechanisms which protect journalists and their profession. Let matters be dealt with in line with the law," Josipovic told the press when asked to comment on Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor's statement yesterday that the government would try to find out who was leaking information that should not be made public while investigations were under way.

Asked if as a lawyer he could assess the extent of Kosor's responsibility in case her HDZ party had slush funds, Josipovic said he had said countless times that he could not comment on something like that, as the prosecution of crimes was not within the president's jurisdiction and he could not "interfere in the jurisdiction of those who, under the law, are obligated to prosecute crimes."

He would not comment either on the election platform of the opposition coalition Alliance for Change, saying he would not evaluate political parties and their platforms for the parliamentary election but raise topics which the parties "should see to and explain to citizens, primarily economic issues, which are the most important now."

Josipovic was speaking to the press after meeting with Split Mayor Zeljko Kerum. Asked if his first official meeting with Karum was linked to the election, he reiterated that his office bound him to neutrality and said the goal of meeting with Split's leaders was to learn about the city's development projects.

Asked about a fire near Knin yesterday which spread to a former military barracks, Josipovic reiterated the army had responded on time and done everything to protect lives and property. "What's most important is that there were no victims," he said, adding that there were many warehouses often storing ammunition that should be annihilated, "but that requires time and money."

Discussing development projects in Split, Josipovic and Kerum visited a construction site on the city's western shore, the expansion of which began in June, a project estimated at HRK 38 million.

Since the construction site is near Kerum's hotel Marjan, which the opposition in the seaport has called "an evident conflict of interest," reporters asked Josipovic if the money should have been invested in a project that would be of use to all citizens and not the mayor as an entrepreneur.

"It's not up to me to give recipes to the local self-government which decides which projects to choose. There are elections, a democratic system, verification, conflict of interest control and possible criminal accountability," Josipovic said, adding that he was interested in compliance with the law and the general acceptability of the project for Split's development.

Kerum said the president and he "very briefly" talked about the parliamentary election later this year, adding that his Croatian Civic Party (HGS) would run in every constituency. He said he would not join any political camp and that he would insist on decentralisation and that the ministries of tourism and the sea be relocated to Split.