ZAGREB, July 16 (Hina) - The Croatian government on early Monday morning won a crucial confidence vote in the Sabor after a 12-hour long discussion on the confidence motion.
ZAGREB, July 16 (Hina) - The Croatian government on early Monday
morning won a crucial confidence vote in the Sabor after a 12-hour
long discussion on the confidence motion.#L#
In the 151-seat parliament, 93 MPs voted for confidence, and 36 were
against. The Ivica Racan cabinet needed 76 votes to survive the
first confidence vote since it took office 18 months ago.
The reformist government gained support from all MPs of four
parties that are in the ruling coalition - SDP (Social Democrats),
HSS (Peasants' Party), HNS (People's Party) and LS (Liberal Party)
- and from a majority of MPs of the Social Liberals (HSLS), the fifth
party in the ruling coalition as well as from MPs of IDS (Istrian
Democratic Assembly,) another two regional parties PGS and SBHS,
HND party and from representatives of national minorities.
Members of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), the Croatian Party
of Rights (HSP), the Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU) and
the Democratic Centre (DC) did not support the government.
A key issue of yesterday's marathon discussion was the cooperation
between Croatia and the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague (ICTY).
The strongest opposition party, HDZ, most severely criticised the
government's recent decision to comply with the ICTY's request
about the hand-over of high-ranking army officers wanted by the
Tribunal.
Many HDZ MPs insisted on a referendum to be called about this issue,
and their proposal was supported by the bench of HSP/HKDU.
DC representatives did not support the government as they believe
that the Racan cabinet has no clear strategy on the relations with
the ICTY.
Other parties hold that the cooperation with the Hague Tribunal is
the issue of abiding by laws and thus Croatia can confirm its
intentions of being developed as a law-based country.
At the end of the discussion, Premier Racan thanked
parliamentarians and said it would now be important to reach
consensus on strategic national interests.
He said the truth about the Homeland War is something which the
government defends in the best manner and it defends it
successfully even if the truth contains something astringent in
it.
Commenting on the relations with the international community, PM
said it was important to defend one's own credibility and promote
one's own interests relying on friends.
Premier's First Deputy, Goran Granic, reiterated the assessment
that the relations with the Tribunal were one of the most demanding
and difficult problems.
It is not a conversation between friends, it is a persistent
struggle in proving facts which should help individuals to be
acquitted of accusations or Croatia to be acquitted of wrongdoing,
First Deputy PM said.
Granic envisaged that the relations between Zagreb and ICTY would
not be easy either in the future.
"But, just as in the past 17,18 months, I believe that we shall use
possibilities, making no gains, but doing our job for which we have
won confidence," Granic said.
A week ago Premier Racan asked the parliament to hold the confidence
vote, after the government decided to act in accordance with the
ICTY's request and after four of five HSLS members in his cabinet,
offered resignation.
On Monday morning the Sabor will start an extraordinary session to
discuss the relations between Zagreb and the Tribunal and
possibilities for calling a referendum on the same treatment of
Homeland War veterans as veterans of all victorious armies enjoyed
at the end of Second World War. The two motions were proposed by the
HDZ.
(hina) ms