POREC, May 30 (Hina) - The president of the Croatian parliament and head of the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS), Zlatko Tomcic, said in the northern Adriatic town of Porec on Wednesday that the decision of the Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ) to mark Stateshood Day today, despite the fact that under the law the holiday is marked on June 25, constituted "political illiteracy".
POREC, May 30 (Hina) - The president of the Croatian parliament and
head of the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS), Zlatko Tomcic, said in
the northern Adriatic town of Porec on Wednesday that the decision
of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) to mark Stateshood Day
today, despite the fact that under the law the holiday is marked on
June 25, constituted "political illiteracy".#L#
After meeting heads of the Istra County HSS branch in Porec, Tomcic
held a press conference at which he addressed the border issue with
Slovenia in Piran Bay and relations within the ruling coalition,
assessing them as unsatisfactory.
Speaking of the HDZ's desicion to continue to mark Stateshood Day on
May 30, Tomcic said that the HDZ, as a party which advocated
legalisation and legitimacy, cannot iognore the fact that there was
a law on national holidays under which May 30 is marked as Croatian
Sabor (parliament) Day.
"I believe that the day when the key political decision was passed,
namely the day when the first multi-party parliament was
constituted after 77 years, should be respected," Tomcic said and
added: "We will celebrate Croatian Statehood Day on June 25."
Asked about the solving of the border issue with Slovenia in Piran
Bay, Tomcic said that in his opinion three solutuins were possible:
the re-opening of negotiations between the Croatian and Slovene
governments, handing over the entire case to international
arbitration and the establishment and definition of a temporary
navigation regime which would not be to the detriment of anyone.
Until then, the old regime must be implemented, under which all
Slovene ships have navigation right without any restrictions
through Croatia's territorial waters, and the demarcation line for
economic exploitation goes through the middle of Piran Bay, the
Croatian parliament presdient said.
Tomcic expressed disatisfaction with relations within the ruling
coalition, primarily because of the contentious solving of "the
most vital national and social issues."
Speaking of a possible regionalisation of Croatia, he said the
issue should be solved through referrendum and added "the voice of
the people should be considered in this case."
(hina) it sb