GRANIC EXPLAINS HIS RESIGNATION TO REPORTERS

ZAGREB, Oct 17 (Hina) - Croatian Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic has told reporters that today's decision of the parliament places him in a situation where he would be violating the law, as well as that it questions relations with the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague and the responsibility of the Croatian state. He says he does not want to be part of this and has therefore resigned. #L# The parliament today bound the government to provide all indictees and suspects of the UN tribunal, as well as their attorneys, with legal assistance and access to documents needed for their defence. This especially refers to documents that have already been submitted to the tribunal's prosecution. The team of attorneys representing General Ante Gotovina, who has been on the run for more than two years, has requested the government to provide them with documents concerning the "Gotovina case" which it had already sent to the U.N. tribunal. Granic said that his compliance with the parliament's decision would mean disrespect for everything he had done in the past three and a half years. During that period, a new system of cooperation with the tribunal was built, including responsibility, lawfulness of procedure, and disregard for daily politics, he said. He said that a trial did not exist until a suspect approached the court and that it was not possible to provide anyone with documents which were being used by the court. This is a very clear regulation which is applied regardless of who the suspect may be, Granic said. Granic believes that the conclusion adopted today is an act of fake patriotism and an attempt to curry favour with the public ahead of elections. "I am not that kind of person," he said. (hina) rml sb