PM SAYS HE WILL PROBABLY NOT ATTEND BOBETKO'S FUNERAL

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