PARTIES REACT TO CARLA DEL PONTE'S STATEMENT

ZAGREB, Oct 23 (Hina) - The leaders of Croatian political parties on Wednesday night commented on the meeting between Prime Minister Ivica Racan and the chief prosecutor of the Hague-based international war crimes tribunal, Carla Del Ponte in Zagreb earlier in the day. #L# Del Ponte asked Croatia to withdraw its two requests to the tribunal's council of appeals, which the government has refused. She said Croatia was not cooperating with the Hague tribunal as far as the hand over of retired Croatian General Janko Bobetko was concerned, but added in a statement after the meeting that she would not file a formal complaint against Croatia with the UN Security Council. The vice-president of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), Jadranka Kosor, said that the party believes "the withdrawal of the requests cannot be considered, because the fact that Croatia defended itself from an aggressor and that the Homeland War was a just and defence war, cannot be overlooked." Kosor added that as member of the UN, Croatia had the right to dispute the indictment or parts of the indictment, and that Croatia had the right to file an appeal. A written statement by the president of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), Drazen Budisa, as relayed by the party's secretary, Dorica Nikolic, says that charges levelled against Croatian generals are unacceptable because of the fact that Croatian Armed Forces' legitimate operations have been qualified as planned ethnic cleansing. "Such political qualifications in indictments directly benefit the defence counsel of those people who are standing trial for Greater Serbian aggression against Croatia," the HSLS assessed, adding that "Croatia should not accept such indictments. The president of the Croatian Bloc (HB) party, Ivic Pasalic, described Del Ponte's statement as merely tactical and in its essence unacceptable, since the prosecution cannot dictate what Croatia's moves should be before the tribunal. The Croatian Bloc still believes that a more permanent solution for cooperation with the international tribunal should be sought, that is, amendments passed to the Constitutional law on cooperation with the Hague tribunal, pursuant to a referendum. Pasalic reiterated that it was obvious the government had stepped away from a consensus which had been reached in parliament regarding the indictment against General Bobetko. The president of th Croatian Party of Rights (HSP), Anto Djapic, said that Prime Minister Ivica Racan should hold talks with all parliamentary party presidents on Thursday. "The first impressions on the basis of scanty reports are that there are no new indictments, that there will be no complaint filed with the UN Security Council, and we can be satisfied in that context, but with some reserve until we have complete information," Djapic said. The HSP finds it concerning that the government said it would act in accordance with the decision of the tribunal's appeals chamber. In case the Croatian requests are denied, the parliament should discuss further steps, Djapic said. The president of the Democratic Centre (DC) party, Mate Granic, said that "true challenges for Croatia will surface after the decision of the tribunal's appeals chamber, because that decision will also be the final decision." Granic believes it necessary for Racan to consult with all opposition parliamentary parties next week. Damir Kajin, the president of the Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS), said that Croatia could not enter a political dispute with The Hague, because it would certainly lose. It is, however, clear that Croatia should wait for the decision of the council of appeals and act in accordance to it without reserves, because failing to do so would imply isolation, and nobody was given a mandate for that in Croatia, Kajin said. He added that Croatia could not allow to be hostage to any political option, not even to people surrounding General Bobetko. (hina) lml sb