WAR VETERANS' ASSOCIATIONS CONDEMN CANCELLATION OF BENEFITS

ZAGREB, March 14 (Hina) - Representatives of Croatia's Homeland War participants on Wednesday expressed their bitterness at the adoption of a new law on the rights of Croatian war veterans and the families of killed, imprisoned and missing veterans which cancels some of those rights. The war veterans are particularly dissatisfied with the "servile relationship of the Government toward the International Monetary Fund, given that the adoption of the law was one of the IMF conditions for the conclusion of a US$250- million stand-by arrangement." "The IMF's dictate infringes on the state's internal affairs literally undermining Croatia's sovereignty," representatives of the Coordination of Homeland War Associations said at a news conference today. The representatives said they would seek protection from the Croatian Constitutional Court as well as from the International Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg because they believed acquired rights could not be cancelled regardless of political changes in any state. The Coordination emphasised that it would continue to strongly advocate its stand that the Homeland War had to be protected with a law and take further action in that regard, in the spirit of the law and democratic achievements. (hina) rml