ZAGREB, Oct 17 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament on Thursday took off the agenda motions by the Opposition's HDZ and HSLS benches, at their request, to change the constitutional law on cooperation with the Hague war crimes tribunal and
to impose a moratorium on that cooperation.
ZAGREB, Oct 17 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament on Thursday took off
the agenda motions by the Opposition's HDZ and HSLS benches, at
their request, to change the constitutional law on cooperation with
the Hague war crimes tribunal and to impose a moratorium on that
cooperation. #L#
Vladimir Seks said on behalf of the bench the HDZ (Croatian
Democratic Union) did not wish to hamper the government's position
in the legal dispute with the UN tribunal in connection with an
indictment against General Janko Bobetko, or hurt Croatia's image
in the international community.
The HDZ disagrees with the government's assessment that changes to
the constitutional law would hamper its standing in the legal
battle with the Hague tribunal, but does not wish to become an alibi
if the government's appeals to the tribunal were overruled, said
Seks.
The HDZ did not intend the amendments to obstruct the international
obligation to cooperate with the Hague tribunal, but wanted to have
that obligation adjusted to the Constitution, the UN Security
Council resolution on the tribunal, and normative solutions in
other countries, like the US and France, Seks said.
He added the HDZ had assessed there was no parliamentary majority
required to support the amendments and that, consequently, a debate
would be pointless.
Josko Kontic of the Social Liberals (HSLS) said the party had
withdrawn its motion for a moratorium on the law on cooperation with
the Hague tribunal pending a Constitutional Court ruling on that
law. The party does want to be destructive, he said.
Kontic added, however, that the HSLS would insist on a debate within
a reasonable period of time in view of evaluating if The Hague's
indictments against all Croatian generals were in line with the
Constitution.
Following half-hour consultations, the benches decided they would
not comment on the HDZ and HSLS explanations of the withdrawal of
their motions.
The president of the coordinating body of ruling coalition benches,
Mate Arlovic, only said the benches had okayed the withdrawal.
(hina) ha sb