"Now we need to go a step further and legally regulate the erection of monuments and the naming of streets, local committees and legal entities," Terselic told Hina.
The head of the Karlovac human rights committee, Jelka Glumicic, said the removal of the monument to Francetic showed that the Croatian government "realised how much harm those monuments cause us", and added that expecting local authorities to remove those monuments was illusory.
Terselic said that 17 Croatian towns still had streets named after Mile Budak, and that one local committee in Zagreb was called after the minister in the WWII Ustasha government. "This is why it is important to amend the Penal Code and prevent the glorification of everything that is contrary to peace and the protection of human rights, in line with the anti-fascist movement as one of the greatest values of a modern Europe."
Slunj mayor Ivan Bogovic, of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) is on vacation and was unavailable for comment.
The head of the Slunj City Council, Nikola Japuncic also of the HDZ, told Hina that Croatians had been at war for a long time throughout history and that now was the time to focus on something else.
Former Slunj mayor Mile Skukan, during whose mandate a group of citizens erected the monument to Francetic in June 2000, said that nobody ever proved that Francetic was a criminal and that removing the monument represented a disgrace.
The memorial plaque to Budak, unveiled in Sveti Rok on August 22, was removed by workers who did not wish to speak to reporters.
Sveti Rok residents are embittered at the government's decision to remove the plaque to Budak. One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said that President Stjepan Mesic and Prime Minister Ivo Sander were responsible. He said Mesic and Sanader were serving Serbs and not Croatians.
Other residents said that the people of Sveti Rok would never stop worshipping Budak.
A large number of police were present in Sveti Rok today.
Lika-Senj County police chief Zeljko Jurkovic said that, contrary to reports, one of the initiators of the unveiling of the memorial plaque to Budak, Croatian emigrant from Canada Josip Vidakovic, was available to the police and did not flee. Jurkovic said the police have not yet officially called Mr and Mrs Vidakovic couple for an interview.
The police chief said that no incidents were reported during the removal of the Budak and Francetic monuments.