ZAGREB, Oct 29 (Hina) - Most parliamentary parties which voted for a conclusion under which the government was to supply the defence team of Ante Gotovina, the fugitive general wanted by the Hague war crimes tribunal, with requested
documents have slammed the government's decision today not to act on the conclusion.
ZAGREB, Oct 29 (Hina) - Most parliamentary parties which voted for a
conclusion under which the government was to supply the defence
team of Ante Gotovina, the fugitive general wanted by the Hague war
crimes tribunal, with requested documents have slammed the
government's decision today not to act on the conclusion. #L#
The conclusion was reached during a parliamentary debate on a
Croatian Social Liberal Party interpellation request concerning
government conduct in the Gotovina case.
The government concluded today that document access will be granted
to all people accused by the U.N. tribunal and their defence teams
if the latter's status has been "appropriately approved".
The basic argument why the government has not supplied Gotovina's
lawyers with the documents it forwarded to the tribunal has been
that his defence team has not been properly registered with the
tribunal since he is on the run.
The initiator of the interpellation request, Josko Kontic, said
that Prime Minister Ivica Racan was evading to implement the
parliamentary conclusion in its key segment "so that he wouldn't
have to admit to having waged a poor policy and reached the wrong
conclusions in the Gotovina case, which parliament directly
confirmed by adopting the conclusion".
Croatian Bloc president Ivic Pasalic said the government had abused
its constitutional position at the very end of its term by not
honouring the parliamentary conclusion.
"Parliament's conclusion is very clear and the government is
obliged to honour it and submit to General Gotovina's lawyers the
entire documentation they have requested. The government's
decision is an unlawful and unconstitutional act for which the
government must bear the political and legal responsibility," said
Pasalic.
Democratic Centre leader Mate Granic said the government's
decision constituted a poor political estimate.
"It is in the government's interest that all accused may defend
themselves before the Hague tribunal, as is the refuting of parts of
the indictment which are unacceptable for Croatia, such as
statements about ethnic cleansing or the exaggerated shelling of
Knin," Granic said.
The Croatian Democratic Union was not surprised by the government's
decision. The government changed its mind at least three times
concerning Gotovina and other issues, spokesman Ratko Macek said,
adding that the decision "is entirely in keeping with the
government's policy over the past four years".
Istrian Democratic Assembly vice president Damir Kajin said the
government had not acted fairly. Every attorney authorised by a
defendant should be given access to the entire documentation
necessary for the defence, notably documents submitted to the
prosecution, he said.
Liberal Party vice president Zlatko Kramaric said his party's vote
for the parliamentary conclusion had been in principle and based on
the assumption that the accused was innocent and on the need that
during trial, the prosecution and the defence must be in equal
positions.
(hina) ha sb