OUTCOME OF EVENTFUL DAY IN GOVT. OFFICES: COOPERATION WITH ICTY TO CONTINUE

ZAGREB, July 8 (Hina) - Saturday's marathon sessions and consultations in the government's building finished with the announcement that the Croatian Government has decided to act in line with the request of the ICTY on hand-over of some indictees and that the Ivica Racan Cabinet will ask the parliament for a confidence vote after four members of the government (who are four HSLS party members) offered their resignation following such a decision of the government. A series of meetings, sessions and consultations, all of which dedicated to one topic - how Zagreb should act in view of two sealed indictments sent from the Tribunal a month ago - commenced with a meeting of Racan's 'Kitchen Cabinet' and leaders of five parties, which make p the ruling coalition (SDP, HSLS, HSS, HNS and LS) at about 02.00 pm Saturday. Leaders of the ruling parties left the government's premises two hours later. None of them, except Zlatko Kramaric of the LS, was willing to address reporters who gathered in front of the 'Banski Dvori'. Kramaric said briefly that it was up to the government to make relevant decisions as only the government had mandate for it. After that, at about 04.30 pm, the government began its closed-door extraordinary session. A break was made after 06.00 pm, but no information was then available to reporters. During the break, Premier Racan held a meeting with leaders of the two opposition parties, Ivo Sanader of the HDZ, and Mate Granic of the DC. The Democratic Centre's (DC) stand on the hand-over of Croatian citizens, who are ICTY indictees, to the Tribunal, remained unclear. On the other hand, Sanader was explicit: the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) is against the extradition of persons who are indicted on the grounds of their commanding and objective responsibility. During this break, the HSLS (Croatian Social Liberal Party) convened its highest body - Malo Vijece - that decided to express also opposition to the hand-over of the Croatian indictees to The Hague. This decision was not revealed until late in the night. The government resumed its session shortly after 09.00 pm. Premier Racan's statement after the session made it obvious that of the five parties in the ruling coalition, only HSLS did not agree to act in line with the Tribunal's demands. But, such a stand of this party was fully respected only by Science Minister Hrvoje Kraljevic who voted against the Government's decision to act in accordance with the ICTY's requests. During the voting, two HSLS members, Jozo Rados (Defence Minister) and Goranko Fizulic (Economy Minister) abstained, while another two HSLS members in the Racan cabinet - First Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic and Transport Minister Alojz Tusek - voted in favour of the government's decision. This finally led to the resignation tendered by Kraljevic, Rados, Fizulic and Granic. Only Tusek of the HSLS did not say that he would step down as the minister. In the course of the day some information occurred that Croatian President Stjepan Mesic might arrive at the Government's building to meet Premier Racan. This eventually did not happen. Neither Racan nor Sabor Speaker Zlatko Tomcic went to Mesic's Office, although earlier in the day such possibility was announced from the office of the head of state. Everything was over about 11.00 pm when PM Racan appeared before the journalists to announce that the government would act in line with the requests of the U.N. war crimes court, that HSLS members in the government offered resignation and that his cabinet would very soon ask the parliament for a confidence vote following such a denouement. (hina) sb ms