ZAGREB/OSIJEK/VUKOVAR, May 30 (Hina) - The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) on Thursday marked Stateshood Day even though, under the law on national holidays, this holiday is no longer marked on May 30 but June 25. The HDZ maintains
the date should not have been changed.
ZAGREB/OSIJEK/VUKOVAR, May 30 (Hina) - The Croatian Democratic
Union (HDZ) on Thursday marked Stateshood Day even though, under
the law on national holidays, this holiday is no longer marked on
May 30 but June 25. The HDZ maintains the date should not have been
changed. #L#
A delegation headed by party president Ivo Sanader today laid
wreaths at the grave of former Croatian President Franjo Tudjman,
the Altar of the Homeland, the graves of Ante Starcevic and Stjepan
Radic, and by the cross for war veterans at Zagreb's Mirogoj
cemetery.
Sanader said the HDZ respected the decisions of the Croatian
parliament but believed, from a political point of view, that
Croatian Stateshood Day should have continued to be marked as
before. The strongest opposition party will continue marking it on
May 30, he said.
"For two years this authority has been changing what was valid
during HDZ's rule, for politicking reasons only, to provide itself
an alibi for the unsuccessful economic policy and the failure to
resolve social issues," said Sanader.
Wreaths by Tudjman's grave and the Altar of the Homeland were also
laid by representatives of the Association for the Promotion of
Croatian Identity and Prosperity (UHIP) and the True Croatian
Revival party (HIP).
Stateshood Day was marked today also in the eastern town of Osijek.
The president of the Osijek-Baranja County HDZ branch, Branimir
Glavas, said the HDZ would reinstate May 30 as Stateshood Day again
after winning at the next parliamentary elections.
Late last year parliament adopted a law on national holidays under
which Croatian Stateshood Day is marked on June 25 instead of May 30
in memory of June 25, 1991, when Croatia passed a constitutional
decision to sever all ties with the ex-Yugoslav federation.
Under the law, May 30 is marked as Croatian Sabor Day in memory of
the same day in 1990, when the first multi-party parliament was
constituted. May 30 is marked as a memorial working day, with the
exception of this year, due to its coinciding with Corpus Christi,
which the said law stipulated was a non-working day.
(hina) ha sb