"At its session yesterday the National Security Council concluded that the rule of law had no alternative and, regardless of what credit is given to some for Croatia, as it undoubtedly should be given to General Gotovina, no one can be above the law," the PM told reporters in Karlovac where he was attending a one-day conference on social partnership.
General Gotovina has been on the run since the summer of 2001 when the Hague-based UN tribunal unsealed his indictment.
Sanader described Friday evening's session of the National Security Council as "extremely good". The Council convened to discussed cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in the context of Croatia's current relations with the European Union. The Council instructed all the competent state bodies to redouble efforts to track down and find Gen. Gotovina and hand over him, namely to discover, in cooperation with other countries, Gotovina's whereabout outside Croatia and ensure his transfer to the Hague-based tribunal.
Sanader said today in Karlovac that the law on cooperation with the Hague-based UN war crimes tribunal must be respected and that there was an indictment which was why Gotovina must go to The Hague so as to explain his role in the Homeland Defence War.
Asked whether the Council's session settled differences between him and President Stjepan Mesic, Sanader responded by saying that his cooperation with Mesic was "very good".
"Since the presidential polls we have met three times already, and it is definitely necessary to exclude all what happened during the election campaign," Sanader said in Karlovac.
Asked whether the 'truce' between his Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the strongest opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) would be extended after 17 March, the date set for the start of Croatia's EU membership talks, Sanader answered that in Croatia people should get accustomed to seeing that main protagonists in the political life can agree on topics of common interests.
Asked whether the HDZ could form a coalition with the SDP at a local level, the HDZ chief said that his party "can (do it) with all democratic parties in Croatia".