ZAGREB, April 30 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan told reporters after Wednesday's meeting of the ruling coalition that he "probably will not attend (General Janko) Bobetko's pre-funeral ceremony in Zagreb, nor his funeral
in Sisak".
ZAGREB, April 30 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan told
reporters after Wednesday's meeting of the ruling coalition that he
"probably will not attend (General Janko) Bobetko's pre-funeral
ceremony in Zagreb, nor his funeral in Sisak". #L#
Ivo Banac of the Liberal Party and Jozo Rados of the Libra party also
confirmed to reporters that Bobetko's funeral had been discussed at
the meeting, which was held behind closed doors.
The five parties discussed a number of issues, said Racan, adding
that one of them were political implications of Bobetko's wish that
General Mirko Norac be present at his funeral. Norac is currently
serving a 12-year prison term in Rijeka for war crimes.
Rados said the coalition had not discussed information according to
which a Rijeka court judge, Ika Saric, who sentenced Norac,
postponed the decision on allowing the general to attend the
funeral.
"We did not discuss the issue, nor do we have the authority to do
so," said Rados.
The meeting also focused on what Croatia would face in the coming
five to six months, in the light of its obligations towards the
European Union before parliamentary elections.
Asked about whether the heads of the five ruling parties had tackled
the issue of the date of the parliamentary elections, the prime
minister said that they would define when elections would be
possible at their next session, considering the tasks which the
government should fulfil.
The prime minister insists that Croatia's obligations regarding
Croatia's rapprochement with the EU be carried out well. "Only then
can we go to elections," he said. "On the contrary, we risk our
strategic national task," Racan told reporters.
(hina) lml