MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT COMMENT ON PRESIDENT'S SPEECH

ZAGREB, Jan 15 (Hina) - The speech Croatian President Stjepan Mesic delivered at Tuesday's special parliamentary session on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Croatia's international recognition elicited various reactions by MPs - from comments that the former government's mistakes should be discussed openly, to views that such speeches are uncommon for special occasions, and the view of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) that the speech was disastrous and totally misplaced. A deputy speaker and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) deputy president, Mato Arlovic, said Mesic delivered a speech which was not common for such occasions. Apart from the facts, the speech is full of moral and emotional criteria and judgements, and there will probably be those who will support those judgements as well as those who will feel hurt, Arlovic added. The Democratic Centre (DC) president, Mate Granic, believes it is unusual to speak on special occasions about issues which are yet to be discussed. Still, I leave it to the President to decide when is the right time to open some issues, Granic said, pointing it was not good such issues were mentioned on special occasions when no one could respond. Stressing that the 10th anniversary of Croatia's international recognition was a moment when all should feel solemn, a Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) vice-president, Vilim Herman, said he believed Mesic's timing was not good. I have nothing against the President opening the disputable questions he mentioned in his speech at some other future meeting, he added. Today's session should have focused on Croatia's international recognition and not open some painful issues, said HSLS vice- president Ljubica Lalic. The Croatian People's Party (HNS) president, Vesna Pusic, believes Mesic's speech showed he took the place which in the early 1990's had been taken by people such as Vaclav Havel. Today again he showed he was up to his role and office, Pusic said, adding she was proud Croatia had a president who was capable of holding such a speech, who was self-critical and at the same time turned to the future, and saw Croatia as a normal European country. In his speech he was also critical of himself as the head of state, and of everything that is going on in the state he is heading, Pusic said, concluding the speech showed Mesic's strength, not his weakness. HDZ president Ivo Sanader said the President's speech was disastrous and totally misplaced. MPs' reactions mostly referred to the part of the speech wherein the President talked about the mistakes and failures of the former government. Speaking about the former government's policy at the time of Croatia's international recognition, Mesic, among other things, said some would probably say it was not appropriate to wash dirty laundry in public on a special occasion. He added he believed the readiness and ability to admit failures and mistakes testified about Croatia's maturity and determination to never again repeat such failures and mistakes. President Mesic said Croatia had been treated as a suspect and subjected to international pressures again and again due to a policy which did not take care of human rights in an adequate manner and interpreted democracy in an unacceptable manner, demonstrating open aspirations towards parts of the neighbouring, internationally recognised country. (hina) np sb