SPLIT, Feb 3(Hina) - At the closed-door part of Tuesday's session in Split the Croatian government relieved Stipe Cacija of duty as assistant interior minister, Prime Minister Ivo Sanader confirmed after the session.
SPLIT, Feb 3(Hina) - At the closed-door part of Tuesday's session in
Split the Croatian government relieved Stipe Cacija of duty as
assistant interior minister, Prime Minister Ivo Sanader confirmed
after the session.#L#
After a Croatian daily recently published an article saying that Stipe
Cacija was not paying alimony for his 18-year-old son, who was born
out of wedlock, Sanader said he expected Cacija to resign if the
allegations proved true. Cacija made his mandate available on January
25, and a day later Sanader said he would propose that the government
relieve him of duty at its next session.
The media also reported about Cacija participating in the Croatian
Democratic Union's election campaign as a bodyguard while on sick
leave as an employee of the Defence Ministry, about alleged
disciplinary proceedings which the ministry initiated against him, and
President Stjepan Mesic's decision on sending Cacija into retirement
as a military person at the end of last year.
Sanader expressed satisfaction with his talks with Split-Dalmatia
County prefect Kruno Peronja and Split mayor Miroslav Bulicic. He
promised state support to the county, which he said would begin with
the implementation of the Law on Islands.
Asked to comment on a statement by former War Veterans' Minister Ivica
Pancic of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) that the new minister's
giving war veteran Darko Bestek back his prosthesis
was a play, Sanader said he could not understand how someone could
ridicule the act involving a man who had suffered great humiliation.
"Nobody will humiliate war veterans any more, and when not much can be
done to help them financially, they should still be treated with
respect," Sanader said.
(Hina) rml