ZAGREB, Apr 26 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said on Saturday political parties' wanting to know the date of the next parliamentary elections was entirely legitimate and logical.
ZAGREB, Apr 26 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said on
Saturday political parties' wanting to know the date of the next
parliamentary elections was entirely legitimate and logical. #L#
"On the other hand, those in power choose election day when they
think suits them best, and since we are in election year, whichever
date they select, it will be a regular election," Mesic said,
commenting on the request of the Croatian Democratic Union, the
Social Liberals, the Democratic Centre, and the Croatian Party of
Rights that the date of the ballot be disclosed.
The President told reporters at his office his estimate had been
that elections would be held next spring but that some thought
differently.
Mesic was asked to comment on an article in today's Vecernji list
daily saying that several thousand soldiers have been without any
income or health care for months because their status has not been
resolved. He said there were certainly instances "in which papers
were not written on time" but added that "no one will be denied their
rights".
Mesic confirmed it was assessed yesterday that staff cuts in the
defence ministry were proceeding very well and to the satisfaction
of those staying in the army, but also of the more than 4,000 who
wanted to leave. "The whole process is going well, nobody will be
left unprovided for."
Commenting on the appointment of top officials in security
agencies, the President said the process had taken too long.
"However, the good thing is that the people who worked on these jobs
and headed the intelligence services did their jobs well," he said,
confident the new leaders would be law-abiding.
Mesic confirmed a council would be set up to monitor secret
services, saying there were no hurdles at all to everything
complying with adopted laws.
As regards a poll conducted by Globus weekly, in which more than 10
percent of those asked said he and Prime Minister Ivica Racan should
end up the same way as Serbian PM Zoran Djindjic, who was
assassinated last month, Mesic said he was not too concerned.
He conceded, however, it "scares me there are people publishing
such nonsense" and making such questions. "They know very well what
they want. I don't need any apology, either from the editor, or the
author or the one who conducted the poll. They did what they set out
to do."
(hina) ha sb