HOUSE OF COUNTIES ENDS MONDAY'S DISCUSSION ON POLITICAL SITUATION

ZAGREB, Feb 13 (Hina) - By forming a commission which would, on the basis of a day-long discussion on the current political situation in the state, the Croatian Parliament's House of Counties completed its work for Monday. The afternoon's discussion was marked with an exchange of appeals to retired general Mirko Norac who has been at large since an arrest warrant was issued against him for alleged crimes against Serb civilians committed in central Croatia in 1991. A member of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), party with the majority in the house, Jure Buric, called on Norac not go give himself up, while Branko Sruk of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), recalling their joint defence soldiers' status, appealed to Norac to contact the tribunal and remove all doubts about his role in the Gospic case. Most HDZ MPs, joined by MPs of the Croatian Party of Rights, insisted on an assessment on the systematic criminalisation of the Homeland Defence War, criticising claims that the war was unquestionable, but that cases of individual guilt must be cleared up. Individual guilt is a mere trick, a HDZ MP asserted. The HDZ MP's, having the majority in the House, dismissed claims that the HDZ stood behind the most recent events in Croatia, namely numerous protests. They called on representatives of party benches of the ruling six parties at the House of Representatives to withdraw their conclusions which harshly spoke about the protests. They have reiterated several times that laws had to be passed in an adequate manner so as to truly put a value to the role of Croatian defence soldiers which would not subject them to humiliation. (hina) lml