HSS URGES DEBATE ABOUT INDICTMENT AGAINST MARKAC, CERMAK

ZAGREB, March 9 (Hina) - The Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) on Tuesday called for an urgent parliamentary session so that MPs could voice their position on accusations from the indictment against Ivan Cermak and Mladen Markac, i.e. allegations that they participated in a joint criminal enterprise aimed at permanently removing the Serb population from Krajina.#L# Cermak, Markac, General Ante Gotovina and the late President Franjo Tudjman are placed in that context, HSS leader Zlatko Tomcic said, warning that keeping silent about the allegations would leave Croatia facing grave accusations. Considering the grave accusations of President Tudjman's policy, one could conclude that this was the official state policy in force between 4 August and 15 November 1995, Tomcic said. Tudjman did not pursue any private policy but a state policy, and Croatian soldiers did not go to war to carry out ethnic cleansing, but to establish a free and independent state. In order to protect national interests, a political discussion about the allegations must be opened, Tomcic said, adding that the rejection of his party's request would mean the government's acceptance of the indictment. A political debate in the parliament would not bring into question the cooperation with the Hague tribunal, but examine the political aspects of the indictment which directly charges Croatia's policy, Tomcic said. (Hina) rml sb