ZAGREB, Sept 10 (Hina) - Almost all leaders of Croatian parliamentary parties have welcomed Serbia and Montenegro President Svetozar Marovic's apology for wrongdoings done in Croatia by his compatriots, seeing it as the basis for the
normalisation of relations between the two countries.
ZAGREB, Sept 10 (Hina) - Almost all leaders of Croatian
parliamentary parties have welcomed Serbia and Montenegro
President Svetozar Marovic's apology for wrongdoings done in
Croatia by his compatriots, seeing it as the basis for the
normalisation of relations between the two countries. #L#
Croatian opposition leaders believe that Croatian President
Stjepan Mesic should not have apologised to the Serbian people.
The Parliament President and leader of the Croatian Peasant Party,
Zlatko Tomcic, believes that Marovic's apology could encourage the
further normalisation of relations between the two countries.
"I believe that this is not a statement by an individual, but that it
reflects the policy of Serbia and Montenegro as a state," Tomcic
said, adding that he fully accepted the part of Marovic's statement
concerning individual responsibility for committed crimes.
Social Democratic Party vice-president Zeljka Antunovic said that
Marovic's move should be welcomed because it was a good sign for
future relations between the two countries, as well as for regional
stability and peace.
Welcoming Marovic's apology, Croatian People's Party president
Vesna Pusic said that Mesic's statement was not an apology but an
expression of regret over all crimes that had happened in the
region.
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) vice-president Jadranka Kosor said
that Marovic's apology was a good move, but warned about the need to
solve many open questions, such as missing persons, succession, the
border on the Danube river, the restitution of artefacts. The HDZ
considers Mesic's theory that "everybody should apologise to
everybody" unacceptable, she said.
Croatian Party of Rights president Anto Djapic considers Mesic's
statement misplaced and unnecessary. "It is an attempt to avoid
hurting the sensitive Croatian public, and please the host at the
same time," Djapic said.
The HSP is not interested in apologies as much as in settling open
issues, he added.
Democratic Centre vice-president Vesna Skare Ozbolt said she did
not know why Mesic apologised. As for Marovic's apology, she said
that it had a moral and historical dimension, but that Croats
imagined the apology differently.
"For the apology to be what Croats want it to be like, the Serbian
premier or head of state would have to apologise at Ovcara, the
symbol of the committed genocide," said Skare Ozbolt.
A vice-president of the Social-Liberals, Djurdja Adlesic, said she
wanted to believe that the apology was sincere. Now it is up to the
judiciary to prosecute crimes, primarily those committed by the
Serbs, she said. As for Mesic's apology, she said that Mesic "is
apologising more or less all the time, but, for him, it is probably a
good way of conducting foreign policy".
Istrian Democratic Assembly vice-president Damir Kajin said that
Marovic's apology was rather a symbolic act, which should be
followed by actual progress in the compensation of war damage.
Liberal Party vice-president Zlatko Kramaric considers Marovic's
apology an important step forward and a sign of readiness to face
the time "when the Serbian policy was the generator of all tragedies
and evils in this region".
Libra vice-president Ivo Skrabalo said everybody might not like the
mutual apology, but he considered it a positive step in the re-
establishment of relations.
(hina) rml