ZAGREB, Jan 15 (Hina) - The former Government of National Unity (so-called war-time government) held a session Monday on the occasion of the ninth anniversary of Croatia's international recognition. Participants agreed a political
consensus on important national issues was crucial for the creation of the Croatian state, and added such a consensus was what Croatia needed today. On behalf of the cabinet president, vice-premier in the Government of National Unity Zdravko Tomac addressed the session, stressing members of this government were resolute not to allow the history and truth about the Homeland Defence War to be subsequently changed. Croatia waged a defence war against Milosevic's policy of genocide which, Tomac said, the international community tolerated for a long time. "In such conditions it was difficult to prevent acts of revenge and individuals or groups who fel
ZAGREB, Jan 15 (Hina) - The former Government of National Unity (so-
called war-time government) held a session Monday on the occasion
of the ninth anniversary of Croatia's international recognition.
Participants agreed a political consensus on important national
issues was crucial for the creation of the Croatian state, and added
such a consensus was what Croatia needed today.
On behalf of the cabinet president, vice-premier in the Government
of National Unity Zdravko Tomac addressed the session, stressing
members of this government were resolute not to allow the history
and truth about the Homeland Defence War to be subsequently
changed.
Croatia waged a defence war against Milosevic's policy of genocide
which, Tomac said, the international community tolerated for a long
time.
"In such conditions it was difficult to prevent acts of revenge and
individuals or groups who felt there was no other way to win the war
but to respond to such acts of the aggressor with the same means,"
Tomac asserted.
He stressed all institutions of authority had tried to decrease the
number of individual crimes to as low a level as possible, but added
this was not always possible.
It is necessary to do everything to have perpetrators answer for
their crimes, Tomac said, adding that individual crimes cannot be
an argument for creating a feeling of guilt and moral
responsibility of the then political leadership and the entire
people.
The session, the Government of National Unity's premier Franjo
Greguric presiding, was attended by three former prime ministers of
Croatia, Miroslav Separovic, Nikica Valentic and Zlatko Matesa,
numerous former ministers, representatives of some political
parties and the Mayor of Zagreb, Milan Bandic.
The announcement of today's meeting stirred great interest in the
public the past several days. Among other comments, the most
frequent being that this government, which has not convened the
past years on the occasion of various anniversaries met today for
fear of a change in the international tribunal's strategy by which
responsibility for war crimes is being increasingly extended to the
civilian and military leadership.
The current government, headed by Prime Minister Ivica Racan,
voiced a somewhat reserved stance concerning the convening of the
war-time government, calling it a "private meeting".
Racan said the solving of contentious issues were best left to the
government during talks with representatives of the ICTY.
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