ZAGREB, Feb 9 (Hina) - The Croatian government will not yield to pressure from those who want to suspend the legal order, Prime Minister Ivica Racan told parliament's House of Representatives on Friday in connection with Mirko Norac,
a retired general suspected of war crimes for whom an arrest warrant was issued yesterday.
ZAGREB, Feb 9 (Hina) - The Croatian government will not yield to
pressure from those who want to suspend the legal order, Prime
Minister Ivica Racan told parliament's House of Representatives on
Friday in connection with Mirko Norac, a retired general suspected
of war crimes for whom an arrest warrant was issued yesterday.#L#
Racan said the government and its bodies did not know Norac's
whereabouts but strongly believed that those resorting to any means
to attack the democratic government knew where Norac was and
manipulated him, perhaps to his disadvantage.
The prime minister emphasised there were no charges on Norac's
account from UN's war crimes tribunal in The Hague.
He assessed the attacks on and "imputations" to the government as a
"serious attack on the democratic legal order of the country,"
stating the government was confident such attempts could not
undermine Croatia because democratic forces were substantially
stronger. He stressed the government would not interfere with the
work of the judiciary.
The prime minister inquired how should expressions like "the
government is lying," "they know where Norac is," "we don't
acknowledge the court," "we call on opposing the traitorous
government" be interpreted other than as vicious attacks on and
imputations to the democratically elected government. Behind this
are various associations which are also supported by some political
parties, he said.
Racan slammed attempts at fomenting chaos in the country and
attacks on the constitutional order, stressing the Homeland
Defence War was an outstanding value which should be jointly
protected. "The government will try to prevent anyone in Croatia
from accounting for their good deeds, Norac included. If, on the
other hand, there is founded suspicion that he took part in a crime
against civilians, he has to defend himself before the court."
The prime minister stressed that irrational accusations and
attacks levelled at the government pushed Croatia not only into
discontent but new isolation and conflict with the international
community. Every citizen is responsible for "not subverting
Croatia and what we created together."
The government strongly believes such attempts cannot endanger
Croatia because the democratic forces are much stronger, Racan
said, adding he hoped there would be no new imputations.
Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic said that those trying to make
political gain from the Norac case were doing so to Croatia's
detriment. He reminded the government was resolute to protect the
Homeland Defence War and did not refrain from telling the
international community it would not consent to any request which
questioned the legitimacy of the liberation operations.
Attempts are being made to turn the Norac case into a political
issue, Granic said. It will be bad for Croatia if it is established
that behind this is organised crime which obstructs the development
of a democratic and law-based Croatia, he added.
(hina) ha sb