ZAGREB, July 8 (Hina) - The opposition's Democratic Centre (DC) requested on Sunday "freezing" a government decision on the extradition of two Croatian generals to the Hague war crimes tribunal, as well as a parliamentary debate on
cooperation with the tribunal. Croatia is presently in its deepest political crisis since 1990, the DC said in a statement. The DC requests reading at parliament's session the indictments based on which the government reached a decision to act in line with the Hague tribunal's requests. The DC believes its requests would defuse tensions and help find a way to cooperate with the Hague in the interest of Croatia and its citizens. The DC is aware of Croatia's international commitments to the tribunal and possible sanctions, but says that according to DC's incomplete information, parts of the two sealed indictments contain unacceptable descriptions of Operation Storm and expa
ZAGREB, July 8 (Hina) - The opposition's Democratic Centre (DC)
requested on Sunday "freezing" a government decision on the
extradition of two Croatian generals to the Hague war crimes
tribunal, as well as a parliamentary debate on cooperation with the
tribunal. Croatia is presently in its deepest political crisis
since 1990, the DC said in a statement.
The DC requests reading at parliament's session the indictments
based on which the government reached a decision to act in line with
the Hague tribunal's requests.
The DC believes its requests would defuse tensions and help find a
way to cooperate with the Hague in the interest of Croatia and its
citizens.
The DC is aware of Croatia's international commitments to the
tribunal and possible sanctions, but says that according to DC's
incomplete information, parts of the two sealed indictments
contain unacceptable descriptions of Operation Storm and expanded
command responsibility. This might lead to a revision of historical
events, which the DC sees as unacceptable.
The party will support the government only if the DC requests are
accepted.
The Croatian Pure Party of Rights (HCSP) described the government's
decision as disgraceful and opposed the extradition of Croatian
officers.
The decision disrupts the principles of the rule-of-law in the most
brutal fashion, the party said in a statement, adding Croatia's law
on cooperation with the Hague tribunal was anti-constitutional and
the accepting of indictments stating command responsibility
contrary to parliament's declaration on the Homeland Defence War.
According to the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP), the decision
renounced the government's principles on cooperation with the
Hague tribunal and the stance that command responsibility was
unacceptable in the case of Croatian officers.
The HSP maintains the decision will deepen rifts among the Croatian
people. The party dismissed the alternatives mentioned by the prime
minister if the Hague requests were turned down as based on
"political speculation."
The HSP sees the decision as "the finalisation of an inconsistent,
compromise-seeking, even cowardly policy in Croatia, which began
with the adoption of the Constitutional Law on cooperation with the
Hague tribunal."
Not one political party or coalition, including the government, has
the right to question the Croatian army's war-time operations or
make Croatia an object of international politics that will justify
the international forces' own omissions on the territory of the
former Yugoslav federation, said the statement signed by HSP
president Anto Djapic.
(hina) ha