ZAGREB, Oct 9 (Hina) - The Croatia-Slovenia good neighbourly relations and friendship have no alternative, however, friendship cannot be bought by giving away territory, Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) president Ivo Sanader told the
Croatian parliament on Wednesday, demanding of the parliament to take a non-confidence vote in Prime Minister Ivica Racan due to the Racan-Drnovsek agreement.
ZAGREB, Oct 9 (Hina) - The Croatia-Slovenia good neighbourly
relations and friendship have no alternative, however, friendship
cannot be bought by giving away territory, Croatian Democratic
Union (HDZ) president Ivo Sanader told the Croatian parliament on
Wednesday, demanding of the parliament to take a non-confidence
vote in Prime Minister Ivica Racan due to the Racan-Drnovsek
agreement. #L#
On behalf of the HDZ bench, Sanader said that by initialling the
border agreement with Slovenia the Croatian government, or rather,
Racan, violated the Constitution and parliament's decisions.
This is obvious violation of the Constitution because neither
Premier Racan nor anyone else can sign an agreement to give away
state territory, Sanader said.
He reminded that the Croatian Constitution clearly said that
sovereignty is inviolable and not transferable and it relates to
the entire state and according to the Sabor declaration of March
1999, the demarcation line in the sea in Piran Bay stretches along
the middle of the bay.
That is the only valid document that the Croatian Government can use
as a basis to act upon and the government and Racan directly
violated that declaration even though according to the
Constitution, they are obligated to implement decisions made by the
Sabor, Sanader said.
He claimed that during direct negotiations with Slovene Premier
Drnovsek, Racan agreed that 80 percent of Savudrija Bay belonged to
Slovenia and so gave away Croatian territory so that Slovenia could
have access to the open sea.
No-one in Croatia, not even Racan, can come to an agreement with
other countries giving away state territory because that is in
opposition to the Constitution, Sanader pointed out.
He criticised the Premier for starting negotiations with Drnovsek
without conducting any previous consultations with experts at
lower levels which left no opportunity to make any corrections to
the agreement.
He also criticised "a one-sided decision" by the Government to
dissolve the State Border Commission as well as not allowing MPs to
inspect a report that the president of that Commission had
prepared.
Even though the HDZ does not believe that Racan will be given the
vote of no confidence, the HDZ explained that it initiated the topic
in an effort to warn the current and any future government that it
does not have the right to give away even one foot of the state
territory.
(hina) sp it sb