ZAGREB, July 6 (Hina) - The Croatian Parliament Speaker and president of the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS), Zlatko Tomcic, would not comment on Friday's meeting between Prime Minister Ivica Racan and the Chief Prosecutor of the
International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Carla del Ponte, saying he would give a statement on Saturday.
ZAGREB, July 6 (Hina) - The Croatian Parliament Speaker and
president of the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS), Zlatko Tomcic,
would not comment on Friday's meeting between Prime Minister Ivica
Racan and the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal
Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Carla del Ponte, saying he
would give a statement on Saturday. #L#
"Commenting on it would be bad prejudging," Tomcic told Hina on
Friday evening, adding he would be able to give a statement once
participants in today's talks acquainted him with the content of
the meeting.
"This is a moment of truth for Croatia and it requires sober
moves... the adoption of a national consensus and the adoption of
decisions in parliament," Liberal Party (LS) president Zlatko
Kramaric said.
It is important, Kramaric said, to explain to the public that after
the arrest of Slobodan Milosevic and some other announced arrests
in Serbia, Croatia's manoeuvring space has been restricted, and
that "the public must know that Croatia's political and economic
future depends on our future decisions."
Democratic Centre (DC) leader Mate Granic believes that Prime
Minister Racan, after he received the indictments and forwarded
objections to them, should have called a meeting of the leaders of
parliamentary parties and inform them about the case, because, he
said, "if anything requires a consensus among democratic forces on
the Croatian political scene, it is this question." He expressed
hope Racan would inform government members, the public and
political leaders about the case.
"The Croatian public and parliament must be acquainted with the
content and results of today's meeting between ICTY Chief
Prosecutor Carla del Ponte and Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan
as well as with the content of the indictments," Croatian
Democratic Union (HDZ) president Ivo Sanader told Hina.
This is essential because "some previous indictments were based on
unacceptable assessments that Croatia attacked the so-called Serb
Krajina. This is completely false, unacceptable and contrary to the
historical truth and even to the Statute of the Hague court,"
Sanader said.
The HDZ strongly opposes the creation of a political atmosphere in
which Croat victims would be equated to the Serb aggressor. The
party also opposes indictments based on commanding responsibility
and the theory that what happened in Croatia was a civil war.
"Croatia was exposed to the Great-Serbian aggression in which
Serbia, Montenegro, and the former JNA took part, with the
assistance of Croatian Serb rebels. Croatia defended itself and won
the war that was imposed," Sanader said.
An Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS) vice-president, Damir Kajin,
said that "Croatia, after Milosevic's hand-over, has no other
choice but to cooperate with the Hague court."
After everything that happened recently in our neighbourhood, no
one should think that Croatia can avoid cooperation, because we
would be facing sanctions, Kajin concluded.
(hina) sb rml