PARLIAMENT DISCUSSES VOTE OF CONFIDENCE IN GOVERNMENT

ZAGREB, July 15 (Hina) - The Democratic Centre (DC), the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) and the Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU) will not support the government and its unclear strategy towards the Hague tribunal, DC, HSP and HKDU representatives said during Sunday's discussion on a vote of confidence in the government, held in the Croatian parliament. The DC advocates cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), but the government does not have a clear strategy towards the ICTY, Vesna Skare-Ozbolt said. On behalf of her party, she said the crisis in the country was deepened adding the Croatian people became polarised. The government could have taken certain steps in cooperation with the Hague tribunal, she said pointing to the government's failure in conducting relations with the ICTY. She said the DC would not support the government. Croatian first Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic assessed Skare- Ozbolt's statement as hypocritical, adding Skare-Ozbolt was a member of the party which ruled for ten years during which Croatia was brought in this state because it failed to cooperate with the ICTY. The then authorities failed to forward wanted documents to the Hague, people were prevented from testifying, thus from removing doubts about their responsibility, Granic said. Parliament speaker protested against Granic's expression "hypocritical", and addressed a stern warning to Granic for his attitude toward another MP. Anto Djapic said the HSP and the HKDU back in 1996 warned about an unacceptable model of cooperation with The Hague, because no difference had been made between Croatia and Serbia. The issue remains -- what can be expected from The Hague given that the tribunal has such a poor picture of Croatia, which is why Prime Minister Ivica Racan sent a letter of complains to the ICTY, Djapic said. He criticised the government for lacking a democratic spirit because it did not allow the holding of a referendum, adding the only way to solve the situation was a referendum. Djapic stressed HSP and HKDU representatives would not support the government. The Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) will support the government, Ivan Cehok said on behalf of the HSLS. He called upon the parliamentary parties to give the government the confidence vote, adding it would give a greater support to the government in the protection of fundamental national interests. Cehok stressed the HSLS opposed the rewriting of Croatia's recent history and unacceptable political qualifications, which were allegedly included in the Hague indictments. He added it cannot be allowed that the Homeland Defence War be compared in any segment with the greater Serbian aggression, conducted by Milosevic. The Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS) will support the government. On behalf of the party, Luka Trconic pointed to high tensions in the society about the issue of cooperation with the ICTY and the extradition of Croatian citizens to the Tribunal. According to Trconic, in order to overcome the high tensions all political forces must voice their opinion on the issue of cooperation with the Hague tribunal. He stressed the HSS will not allow any political force to be the chief arbitrator in the issues of national interest, adding the offered alternative would mean "Croatia's banishment from the western democratic family," and that it was "absolutely certain that in this case Croatia will not have any future." He said the only way Croatia could dismiss unacceptable political assessments on the nature of the Homeland Defence War was within cooperation with the Hague tribunal, using all legal means and demanding the protection of the Security Council as a United Nation member. Damir Kajin of the Istrian Democratic Assembly stressed that by cooperating with the Hague tribunal the government was fulfilling previously assumed obligations. He said at this moment Croatia cannot go bellow the standard of Yugoslavia, which extradited Milosevic to the ICTY, but agreed that Milosevic's policy cannot be compared to the Homeland Defence War and Croatian Army operations in any segment. He disagreed with the assessments, in line with which the military- police operation of "Storm" aimed at ethnic cleansing and the expelling of Serbs. He stressed that nothing could have been done after the operation which would prevent the destroying of several houses, adding, however, the destroying of 20,000 houses and killing of civilians could have been prevented. In Kajin's opinion, Croatia is in an unenviable position because in the past 18 months the government did not have the courage to face dark sides of the Homeland Defence War and bring persons who committed war crimes to justice. (hina) it sb