RACAN SAYS HIS DEPUTY WAS INFORMED OF TRANSCRIPTS

ZAGREB, June 28 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan said on Friday night that his deputy Drazen Budisa was informed about transcripts the government had decided to submit to the Hague-based international war crimes tribunal. #L# Budisa was informed, we discussed the issue ahead of and during a government session, Racan said, commenting an article in Saturday's issue of the "Jutarnji list" daily, according to which Budisa did not know, until a closed government session, that the documents requested by the Hague tribunal contained a transcript of his talks with the late president Tudjman dating 1995, and "was very surprised with this fact," as the paper writes. Budisa and his ministers believed that the transcript had nothing which should be a subject of interest for the tribunal, because at the time Budisa neither performed a political or military duty, the paper said. It added that Budisa and Social Liberal ministers thus did not support the government's decision to declassify the transcripts, but abstained during voting. "Anything can be used to justify the crisis or leaving the coalition, but the fact remains that a blow was struck on the coalition, and this needs to be discussed," Racan said, adding that the transcripts were another subject altogether. A large amount of transcripts is already in The Hague, and they do contain many people's discussions with Tudjman, he said. "I myself spoke to Tudjman and do not fear the transcripts," Racan said. Budisa refused to comment on the issue. (hina) lml sb