SPLIT, March 16 (Hina) - The Main Centre for the Protection of the Dignity of the Homeland War said in Split Friday it has gathered the needed 400,000 signatures on a petition asking for a referendum for the passing of a law by which
Croatian veterans would be treated before courts as members of any other victorious armies and those of the anti-fascist movement. The fact that the signatures were collected in only 24 days speaks of the strong will of the people to solve an issue which could be the source of permanent divisions in Croatian society, the Centre's president, Mirko Condic, said. Next week the Centre will forward to Parliament speaker Zlatko Tomcic a request to be received and to hand their petition, in hope the constitutional obligation of calling for a referendum will be respected. Condic warned that their request was being misinterpreted as a demand for a law on amnesty. "We request that
SPLIT, March 16 (Hina) - The Main Centre for the Protection of the
Dignity of the Homeland War said in Split Friday it has gathered the
needed 400,000 signatures on a petition asking for a referendum for
the passing of a law by which Croatian veterans would be treated
before courts as members of any other victorious armies and those of
the anti-fascist movement.
The fact that the signatures were collected in only 24 days speaks
of the strong will of the people to solve an issue which could be the
source of permanent divisions in Croatian society, the Centre's
president, Mirko Condic, said.
Next week the Centre will forward to Parliament speaker Zlatko
Tomcic a request to be received and to hand their petition, in hope
the constitutional obligation of calling for a referendum will be
respected.
Condic warned that their request was being misinterpreted as a
demand for a law on amnesty.
"We request that the entire problem of the Homeland Defence War be
regulated comprehensively, that in areas of social life it has the
same treatment as similar liberation and anti-fascist wars have
had. The amnesty law would be relevant to perpetrators who ought to
be pardoned, and such a partial solution is not our aim," Condic
stressed.
The Centre's leadership suggests that the referendum should take
place at the same time as local elections for lesser expenses and a
greater turnout of voters.
The Centre denounced the, as they put it, the final showdown between
the government and the "Slobodna Dalmacija" daily, one of the rare
papers in which pluralism of thought reigns.
The veterans said if "neo-communist leaders and their satellites
dare to suffocate the freedom of the press and the right to
differing opinions, the Centre and the people will know how to
respond and prevent the killing of democracy and the freedom of
speech and thought."
(hina) lml