CONSTITUTIONAL COURT: GOVT. INITIATIVE IN "BOBETKO CASE" I PROCEDURE

ZAGREB, Oct 11 (Hina) - Constitutional Court President Smiljko Sokol has stated that the government's initiative regarding "the Bobetko case" was on Friday forwarded in line with court procedure to a reporting judge, who would prepare a draft opinion about it. #L# "The rules and practice of the Constitutional Court do not allow me to comment on the initiative or state the name of the reporting judge," Sokol said. The government has not determined a deadline by which the court should voice its opinion nor could it do so because the court is only bound by deadlines from the Constitutional Law on the Constitutional Court and nobody can impose on it deadlines for solving cases, Sokol said. "The Constitutional Court will take into account the importance of the case," he said when asked when the court could give its opinion. The government forwarded its initiative to the Constitutional Court referring to the parliament's conclusions about "the Bobetko case" of September 27 and its authority to cooperate on Croatia's behalf with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). The court was requested to give its opinion about some constitutional and legal aspects of Croatia's liberation operations and related powers and obligations of the Armed Forces pertaining to the indictment, as well as about the warrants for the arrest and hand-over of General Janko Bobetko, which the government received from the Hague-based tribunal on September 23. The parliament had urged the government in its conclusions to initiate procedure before the Constitutional Court with the purpose of the court giving its opinion on the constitutionality of parts or the entire indictment against Bobetko. Among other things, the parliament requested the court to do so in urgent procedure. Bobetko is a former Croatian Army Chief-of-Staff, indicted for war crimes committed against civilians. (hina) rml sb