MESIC SAYS ALLEGEDLY THERE ARE NEW INDICTMENTS FROM THE HAGUE

ZAGREB, Oct 12 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said on Sunday "allegedly there are" new indictments for Croatia from the Hague war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. #L# "I know there have been many investigations, but I don't know which cases," he told reporters after the opening of a Federation of Travel Writers and Journalists congress. Mesic said that what he was familiar with was what the wider Croatian public knew too. "But we don't yet know (which cases) will end up before the tribunal." He was asked to comment on the objection of Croats from Plaski, 90 kilometres south-west of Zagreb, to the restoration of a Vladimir Nazor monument, voiced yesterday during the marking of the 60th anniversary of the Croatian Anti-Fascist Parliament's (ZAVNOH) second sitting. Nazor was the first ZAVNOH chairman. "Some people still live in the past," Mesic said, adding that "history is interpreted in a variety of ways". One should turn to the future and the solving of problems Croatia is faced with as well as know one's history and great men, he said. "Nazor is a great poet and Croat who knew to choose the right side when many didn't know what was going on in Europe. This may not have left a huge trace in Croatia but his writing certainly has." Mesic expressed regret "that there are people who fail to realise that and wish to downplay Vladimir Nazor's significance by making one case a political issue". He feels the Plaski incident was an isolated occurrence. Asked about the campaign political parties had already started for upcoming parliamentary elections and the date thereof, Mesic said he would call the ballot in line with legal deadlines, as soon as parliament was dissolved. Asked if the elections would be held on November 23, the President said he did not know yet and that it depended on when parliament was dissolved. (hina) ha