ZAGREB, Oct 10 (Hina) - Commenting on Friday on the report the Hague war crimes tribunal's chief prosecutor submitted to the U.N. Security Council yesterday, the Croatian Democratic Union party (HDZ) said it was expected, the Croatian
Peasant Party (HSS) was bitter about its harshness, while the national association of disabled war veterans, HVIDR, said the public was being fed Carla Del Ponte's view that Croatia's fate was not in the hands of the government but those of fugitive indictee Ante Gotovina.
ZAGREB, Oct 10 (Hina) - Commenting on Friday on the report the Hague
war crimes tribunal's chief prosecutor submitted to the U.N.
Security Council yesterday, the Croatian Democratic Union party
(HDZ) said it was expected, the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) was
bitter about its harshness, while the national association of
disabled war veterans, HVIDR, said the public was being fed Carla
Del Ponte's view that Croatia's fate was not in the hands of the
government but those of fugitive indictee Ante Gotovina. #L#
"Nothing else could have been expected given Carla Del Ponte's
previous positions and statements," HDZ vice president Jadranka
Kosor told Hina, adding that she was confident Del Ponte's report
would not become an obstacle to Croatia's entry to the European
Union and NATO.
As regards Del Ponte's statements about Gotovina, Kosor said the
HDZ continued to view the Hague tribunal's indictment against him
as unacceptable since it "redefines history by talking about ethnic
cleansing".
HSS vice president Luka Trconic said the initial impression Del
Ponte's address caused in the HSS was bitterness.
"Until a few days ago we were told one and now we hear a completely
different story. The report is biased and it's unfair to put
(Croatia) in the same box with Serbia-Montenegro and Republika
Srpska," he said.
Trconic said that personally, he felt the prosecutor's office at
The Hague should appreciate Croatia's efforts more, and emphasised
he was optimistic about Croatia's admission to the EU.
HVIDR said in a statement that the government and part of the media
were trying to present the authorities' "dubious and subservient
policy towards international centres of power" as a national
interest with no alternative, which HVIDR claims is not the case.
Del Ponte's view that Croatia's fate is not in the hands of the
authorities as representatives of the people but in the hands of
Gotovina is being foisted on the public, read the statement.
It said the Gotovina indictment accused the Croatian people of an
act of genocide that had not been committed, and attempted to impose
a mutual feeling of guilt as a prerequisite for creating a Western
Balkan region.
HVIDR also blasted the US and UK stands on Gotovina as unjust and
unprincipled.
(hina) ha