Addressing a government session, Sanader said 30 May 1990 was a big day for Croatia, the beginning of its creation. "We are proud of that day," he said.
"That Croatian Sabor provided guidelines as to which way to go. We were in agreement then. It should be so in the future, too," said Sanader.
He reiterated that every new government did not need to change the dates of national holidays as it pleased.
He recalled that until 2002, May 30 was celebrated as Croatian Statehood Day, but has since then been marked as Croatian Sabor Day under a decision of the then coalition government, whereas Statehood Day is marked on June 25, in memory of 25 June 1991, when the Sabor adopted decisions on Croatia's independence and sovereignty from the then Socialist Yugoslav Federation.
"After the HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) regained power, I personally intervened so that those dates not be changed," Sanader said, adding it was important to rise above such interests.
"We won't be spiteful to one another," he said, adding that tomorrow someone might think of changing the flag or the national anthem.
"I'm not for that. There are above-party interests. There are national and state interests," Sanader said.