"Such a decision is not within my jurisdiction, and as far as I know the Minister of the Interior is not considering it," Sanader said on Monday in a Croatian Radio programme where he was invited together with President Stjepan Mesic.
A political body such as a county assembly has the right to give advice about the appointment of a police chief, but it has no right to decide on him, the minister does that, Sanader said.
Sanader and Mesic agreed that independent MP Branimir Glavas's being stripped of immunity over war crimes charges should not be put in the context of politics and that the judiciary must not be exposed to political pressure.
This is not about politics, Sanader said, adding that the possibility of Glavas being charged had been discussed before he parted ways with the Croatian Democratic Union.
"I would not comment on this, this is only about someone being stripped of parliamentary immunity," President Mesic said, adding that institutions had to do their job and that he only expected a relevant court to pass a fair ruling based on the law.
Mesic and Sanader did not want to comment on whether the Glavas case would lead to opening some other cases of war crimes, such as those in Sisak.
"I cannot comment on what the state prosecution will do, it is an independent body," Sanader said, adding that all crimes would have to be prosecuted.
President Mesic said that there was no information about the State Prosecutor's Office or the Hague war crimes tribunal investigating Tomislav Mercep or Djuro Brodarac, contrary to media speculation.
Most of the job in processing war crimes has been done and no new major cases are expected, but something may always happen because there is no statute of limitations on war crimes, Mesic said in a comment on an indictment issued by the State Prosecution against 52 persons for crimes against Croats in Sotin and Berak.
Mesic and Sanader said that there were still senior members of the former Yugoslav People's Army who had ordered the shelling of Croatian towns and who had not been punished yet.
Sanader confirmed that the government would cover the costs of the defence of General Rahim Ademi before the Hague tribunal, amounting to some 90,000 euros.
The government can pay the costs of the defence in trials conducted before the Hague tribunal, but under Croatian legislation it cannot cover the costs of the defence in cases which were referred from the Hague tribunal to the Croatian judiciary, Sanader said. He added that there were other sources of financing and welcomed reports that the Truth about the Homeland War foundation would finance the defence of General Ante Gotovina and other generals.
Asked about Montenegro's 21 May referendum of independence, President Mesic said that Croatia would consider any decision by Montenegrin citizens as legal and legitimate.
If Montenegrin citizens opt for independence, Croatia will recognise Montenegro at the same time as the European Union, PM Sanader said.
He dismissed speculation that the government was secretly negotiating the signing of an agreement on the non-extradition of US citizens to the International Criminal Court.
Mesic and Sanader gave the interview on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Croatian Radio and the 50th anniversary of Croatian Television.