ZAGREB, Jan 18 (Hina) - The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) on Friday demanded of the Croatian parliament to distance itself with conclusions from a part of the speech delivered by President Stjepan Mesic at a parliamentary session
held on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Croatia's international recognition. In his speech, Mesic said "the history will remember that the then political top made moves which objectively went in favourof (the former Yugoslav President) Slobodan Milosevic's Greater Serb ambitions", and that "members of the Serb minority in Croatia have been purposely antagonised..." The HDZ forwarded the request to the parliament after the Public Works Deputy Minister, Venko Curlin, said essence of amendments to the Law on Areas of Special State Concern was the restitution of property to Serb returnees which is temporarily occupied. "Mesic's speech contains historic forgeries and the ju
ZAGREB, Jan 18 (Hina) - The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) on
Friday demanded of the Croatian parliament to distance itself with
conclusions from a part of the speech delivered by President
Stjepan Mesic at a parliamentary session held on the occasion of the
10th anniversary of Croatia's international recognition.
In his speech, Mesic said "the history will remember that the then
political top made moves which objectively went in favour
of (the former Yugoslav President) Slobodan Milosevic's Greater
Serb ambitions", and that "members of the Serb minority in Croatia
have been purposely antagonised..."
The HDZ forwarded the request to the parliament after the Public
Works Deputy Minister, Venko Curlin, said essence of amendments to
the Law on Areas of Special State Concern was the restitution of
property to Serb returnees which is temporarily occupied.
"Mesic's speech contains historic forgeries and the justification
for the armed rebellion and aggression, and this bill was on this
track," Vladimir Seks of the HDZ said.
The HDZ bench thus suggests to the parliament to assess with
conclusions a part of Mesic's speech "politically unacceptable,
contrary to European democratic standards, and the Homeland War
Declaration" which Mesic has to follow as a state official, Seks
said.
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) protested against the violation
of the parliamentary Rule Book, because Seks used the parliamentary
platform to start a dispute with Mesic who had nothing to do with the
topic of the discussion.
Curlin reiterated the return of the temporarily occupied property
was Croatia's civilisational obligation. The intention of the
proposed amendments to the law was not placing the persecuted and
displaced persons in camps, he answered Seks, and added the
government was trying to solve the issue of the restitution of
property by providing alternative accommodation for refugees.
The discussion on the amendments was discontinued due to anonymous
tip-off on an explosive device in the parliament. The session will
resume Wednesday.
(hina) np sb