SPLIT SPLIT, May 6 (Hina) - A two-hour protest called "Croatia's Split for Slobodna Dalmacija" was held in the southern Croatian city of Split on Sunday. The protest gathered about 20,000 people who harshly criticised the current
authorities and requested that Josip Jovic be returned to the duty of editor-in-chief of Croatia's daily "Slobodna Dalmacija". Colonel Mirko Condic, head of the headquarters for the defence of the Homeland War dignity which organised the protest, said all newspapers in Croatia and the Croatian Television were the bulletins of the authorities and "Slobodna Dalmacija" was the only newspaper which was not in keeping with that, therefore Prime Minister Ivica Racan politically suppressed it. Condic also called Croatian President Stipe Mesic "a person guilty of high treason". Independent journalist from Austria Karl Gustav Stroem supported the protesters and advise them to write to politicians acro
SPLIT, May 6 (Hina) - A two-hour protest called "Croatia's Split for
Slobodna Dalmacija" was held in the southern Croatian city of Split
on Sunday.
The protest gathered about 20,000 people who harshly criticised the
current authorities and requested that Josip Jovic be returned to
the duty of editor-in-chief of Croatia's daily "Slobodna
Dalmacija".
Colonel Mirko Condic, head of the headquarters for the defence of
the Homeland War dignity which organised the protest, said all
newspapers in Croatia and the Croatian Television were the
bulletins of the authorities and "Slobodna Dalmacija" was the only
newspaper which was not in keeping with that, therefore Prime
Minister Ivica Racan politically suppressed it. Condic also called
Croatian President Stipe Mesic "a person guilty of high treason".
Independent journalist from Austria Karl Gustav Stroem supported
the protesters and advise them to write to politicians across
Europe and the United States, primarily to Kofi Annan and George W.
Bush and tear down the wall of silence toward the West on the
suppress of media in Croatia.
Stroem also criticised democracy in Croatia adding that as of the
inauguration of the new authorities he lost the position of a news
analyst on the Croatian Television.
Former editor-in-chief of another Croatia's daily "Vjesnik" Nenad
Ivankovic said political conformism took place in Croatia, adding
that Josip Jovic was relieved from his duty by Racan, Mesic, and
deputy Prime Minister Slavko Linic. He called upon the protesters
not to vote for those who eliminated "Slobodna Dalmacija" at the
upcoming local elections.
"Slobodna Dalmacija" journalist Josko Celan read the letter Josip
Jovic sent from Munich saying that everything national in Croatia
was being treated as an "Ustashi" matter.
"Slobodna Dalmacija" journalist Zoran Vukman said the only editor-
in-chief of the "Slobodna Dalmacija" today was Ivica Racan, and
that it was to the disgrace of Croatian media to be quiet about "the
international occupation of Bosnia-Herzegovina".
Even though his speech was not scheduled by the protocol, the
present were addressed by deputy president of the headquarters for
the protection of the Homeland War dignity Luka Podrug. He said that
today's authorities included persons of guilty of high treason" and
told the voters to send communists to the history at the upcoming
local elections.
The protest ended by the adoption of a five-item declaration. The
declaration demands that all decisions regarding "Slobodna
Dalmacija" be revoked. It also demands the endorsement of the
financial reconstruction programme and its implementation, the
replacement of the Supervising Committee, the return of Josip
Jovic, and government's responsibility "which suppresses the
freedom of a public word".
Also present at the protest were Split-Dalmatia County prefect
Branimir Luksic, Split mayor Ivan Skaric, generals Ante Gotovina
and Markica Rebic, numerous parliament representatives.
The protesters booed President Mesic by shouting "Gypsy" and "Red
Gang".
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