ZAGREB, July 17 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan late Monday evening spoke in the Croatian parliament at the request of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) parliamentary bench, and called upon the representatives not to
make this situation even more difficult than it is and to, if possible, pass every other decision on the issue of cooperation with the Hague Tribunal by a consensus. Earlier this evening, during a discussion on cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, Vladimir Seks of the HDZ demanded the Prime Minister to appear in the parliament and explain the statement of his deputy Goran Granic that the persons included in the Hague indictments were indicted for the crime of persecution, assessing that Racan had deluded the public by withholding crucial information regarding the Hague indictments. Racan reiterated that in his letter of complains to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugosla
ZAGREB, July 17 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan late
Monday evening spoke in the Croatian parliament at the request of
the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) parliamentary bench, and
called upon the representatives not to make this situation even
more difficult than it is and to, if possible, pass every other
decision on the issue of cooperation with the Hague Tribunal by a
consensus.
Earlier this evening, during a discussion on cooperation with the
Hague Tribunal, Vladimir Seks of the HDZ demanded the Prime
Minister to appear in the parliament and explain the statement of
his deputy Goran Granic that the persons included in the Hague
indictments were indicted for the crime of persecution, assessing
that Racan had deluded the public by withholding crucial
information regarding the Hague indictments.
Racan reiterated that in his letter of complains to the
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
he had pointed to the parts of the indictments referring to the
direct responsibility of the indictees, but which do not include
evidence on the connection between the indictees and the committed
crimes.
I objected to the assessment that the crime of persecution had been
planned, stressing that one could get an impression that through
the incrimination of the indictees, such statements, or at least
part of the statements aimed at criminalising the entire military
and police operation of "Storm" and questioning its legitimacy,
Racan said.
The Prime Minister also reiterated that in his letter to ICTY chief
prosecutor Carla del Ponte he had objected to the assessment that
the cumulative effect of certain unlawful activities during and
after the Storm was the persecution of 150,000-200,000 Krajina
Serbs, stressing it was a fact the Serbs moved out immediately after
the beginning of the operation, and in line with the plan of their
leadership.
Commenting on Seks' claim that he had withheld information which
would be crucial in a vote of confidence in the government, Racan
said everybody would be able to compare his words with the
indictments as soon as they get public. He said Seks' statement was
a wrong interpretation at best case scenario.
He also reminded of a statement made by Justice Minister Stjepan
Ivanisevic that the indictments did not refer to Article 4 of the
Hague Statute, which deals with the crime of genocide, stressing
that in this case "it deals with the direct responsibility."
At the end, Racan expressed hope an agreement would be reached,
adding it depended not only on the government but on the parliament
as well.
On behalf of the Croatian Democratic Union, Ivo Sanader said the
government should be obliged to discontinue all activities
regarding the two Hague indictments until a constitutional law on
cooperation with the ICTY is amended.
The Croatian Party of Rights/Croatia Christian Democratic Union
parliamentary bench requested another break.
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