ZAGREB, July 9 (Hina) - Members of the Croatian parliament on Monday received a request of Prime Minister Ivica Racan for a confidence vote in the government, with the date of July 7. The Sabor will discuss the motion for the
confidence vote on Sunday, 15 July. The reason for this most serious test of the Ivica Racan cabinet is last Saturday's decision of the government to act in line with the request of the UN war crimes court about indictees' extradition. On June 12, the Croatian office in charge of the cooperation with the ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia) received the ICTY's request with two sealed indictments enclosed with the letter. On June 18 PM Ivica Racan forwarded a written objection to some segments of the indictments to the ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte. According to an explanation served by the government to MPs, on 6 July del Ponte gave
ZAGREB, July 9 (Hina) - Members of the Croatian parliament on Monday
received a request of Prime Minister Ivica Racan for a confidence
vote in the government, with the date of July 7.
The Sabor will discuss the motion for the confidence vote on Sunday,
15 July.
The reason for this most serious test of the Ivica Racan cabinet is
last Saturday's decision of the government to act in line with the
request of the UN war crimes court about indictees' extradition.
On June 12, the Croatian office in charge of the cooperation with
the ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia) received the ICTY's request with two sealed
indictments enclosed with the letter.
On June 18 PM Ivica Racan forwarded a written objection to some
segments of the indictments to the ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla del
Ponte.
According to an explanation served by the government to MPs, on 6
July del Ponte gave a written response and additional explanations
during her talks with Racan in which she refuted any changes to the
sealed indictments, asserting that indictments could not be
altered without the Tribunal's consent. She also insisted on the
immediate arrest and hand-over of the two indictees to The Hague.
After that Racan pledged to convene an extra-ordinary session of
his cabinet which should make a decision on the matter.
Thus, on Saturday (July 7), the government held the session and
decided to fulfill the commitments.
PM Racan has reiterated that the government's refusal to carry out
the Tribunal's request would cause the incalculable harmful
consequences for Croatia and push the country back in the Balkans in
the political, economic and social sense. Therefore, Racan's
'Kitchen Cabinet' prepared a draft decision under which the
government would meet its international commitments and implement
the constitutional law on the cooperation with the ICTY.
According to the decision, which was discussed at the emergency
session on Saturday, the justice ministry is entrusted with the
task to conduct the further procedure.
MPs are also informed that prior to the adoption of the final
decision, members of the government held consultations within
their political parties. Thus, the leadership of the HSLS called
'Malo Vijece' was convened on Saturday as well when it concluded
that HSLS members in the government should vote against the draft
decision.
Of all the 22 ministers, 19 voted for the decision, two HSLS
(Croatian Social Liberal Party) ministers - Jozo Rados and Goranko
Fizulic - abstained from the voting, while the only one to vote
against was another HSLS minister - Hrvoje Kraljevic.
After that ministers Rados (of defence), Fizulic (of economy) and
Kraljevic (of science) as well as the First Deputy PM, Goran Granic,
offered resignation. The fifth HSLS member of the cabinet -
Transport Minister Alojz Tusek - did not tendered his resignation.
In such a situation I regard it as necessary for the government to
see whether it still enjoys the confidence of the majority of MPs,
Premier Racan said in the explanation of his request for the
confidence vote.
(hina) sb ms