ZAGREB, Oct 7 (Hina) - Croatia is not hostage to General Ante Gotovina, but to a cowardly foreign policy that has suffered a debacle, the Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU) and the Croatian Pure Party of Rights (HCSP) said at
a joint press conference on Tuesday.
ZAGREB, Oct 7 (Hina) - Croatia is not hostage to General Ante
Gotovina, but to a cowardly foreign policy that has suffered a
debacle, the Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU) and the
Croatian Pure Party of Rights (HCSP) said at a joint press
conference on Tuesday. #L#
Commenting on yesterday's meeting between the chief prosecutor of
the UN war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Carla Del
Ponte, and Prime Minister Ivica Racan, HKDU leader Anto Kovacevic
said that "open season has been declared" on fugitive Croatian Army
general Ante Gotovina and that "the Hague tribunal wants to
apportion the blame between the victim and the aggressor."
Kovacevic said he could see no point in Croatia rushing to join the
European Union, because "the EU is not a fairy that will resolve all
problems for Croats."
Speaking of relations with neighbouring Slovenia, he said that
"Slovenia managed to trick Croatia every time."
The HKDU and the HCSP have formed a coalition to compete in the
forthcoming parliamentary elections, and both parties said they
expected good election results.
Concurring with the HKDU leader, HCSP president Luka Podrug said
that the Croatian government equated the office of the prosecutor
with the tribunal itself, although the prosecutor's office was just
one party to court proceedings.
Podrug proposed that the Croatian government should follow
Rwanda's example and request Del Ponte's resignation.
(hina) vm sb