ZAGREB, July 26 (Hina) - Leaders of most Croatian parliamentary parties regard an indictment issued by the UN war crimes tribunal (ICTY) against retired Croatian General Ante Gotovina as an unacceptable document which criminalise the
Croatian Homeland War, and they request of the incumbent Croatian government to make public a letter which Premier Ivica Racan forwarded to this Tribunal in which he objected to some segments and assessments in the indictments against generals Gotovina and Rahim Ademi. Zdravko Tomac, a leader of Social Democrats (SDP), said it was unacceptable that the indictment against Gotovina implies that the 1995 liberating operation "Storm" was actually planned ethnic cleansing. Croatia needs consensus as some see only the bright side of the Homeland War and not dark one, and vice versa. One should see that there were two kinds of crime: the first was the Greater Serbian ag
ZAGREB, July 26 (Hina) - Leaders of most Croatian parliamentary
parties regard an indictment issued by the UN war crimes tribunal
(ICTY) against retired Croatian General Ante Gotovina as an
unacceptable document which criminalise the Croatian Homeland War,
and they request of the incumbent Croatian government to make
public a letter which Premier Ivica Racan forwarded to this
Tribunal in which he objected to some segments and assessments in
the indictments against generals Gotovina and Rahim Ademi.
Zdravko Tomac, a leader of Social Democrats (SDP), said it was
unacceptable that the indictment against Gotovina implies that the
1995 liberating operation "Storm" was actually planned ethnic
cleansing.
Croatia needs consensus as some see only the bright side of the
Homeland War and not dark one, and vice versa. One should see that
there were two kinds of crime: the first was the Greater Serbian
aggression against Croatia during which the followers of the Great
Serbian idea committed genocide and ethnic cleansing. On the other
hand, some crimes were perpetrated during the defence of Croatia,
but those crimes were individual incidents and not planned ethnic
cleansing, Tomac explained.
Vladimir Seks of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) said the
indictment against Gen. Gotovina was actually an indictment
against Croatia in which the war for independence was
criminalised.
According to Seks, a segment reading that "Gotovina, acting
individually and/or in concert with others, including President
Franjo Tudjman, planned, instigated, ordered, committed or
otherwise aided and abetted in the planning, preparation or
execution of the crimes..." was in particular shameful and
impermissible.
This allegation also shows that the Hague-based tribunal is
actually a politically-motivated court which is trying to
criminalise the Homeland War and all who were at the helm of Croatia
in the last decade, the HDZ official said. Seks described the
conduct of Premier Racan and his cabinet in these events as
unacceptable as well.
Vesna Skare-Ozbolt of the Democratic Centre (DC) labels the
indictment against Gotovina as forgery of the truth about the
Homeland War. She especially criticised segments which accuse the
late President Franjo Tudjman.
DC asks the government to take decisive actions in its relations
with the Tribunal, and insists that Racan immediately disclose the
contents of his letter with objections, she said.
Djurdja Adlesic of the Croatian Social Liberals (HSLS) said some
parts of the indictment contain more politics and unacceptable
assessments than legal matter. She holds that, without bringing
into question the cooperation with the Tribunal, all Croatian
institutions should be available to Croatian ICTY indictees and
help them prove the truth.
Zlatko Kramaric, the Liberal Party (LS) President, said the
disclosed indictments showed that the media had good information
while speculating about the contents of the ICTY sealed
indictments.
"LS assumes that guilt of some person can be proved only at the court
and that the trial of the two Croatian generals Gotovina and Ademi
will proceed with no political connotations," Kramaric said
expressing hope that the Gotovina indictment would not deepen the
polarisation in the Croatian society.
Ante Djapic, the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) President,
maintains that the indictment against Gen. Gotovina reflects the
political character of this UN tribunal.
All of this is impermissible and disgraceful, and the Hague
Tribunal thus defiles all what is sacred such the Homeland War and
Croatian generals who defended this country, Djapic said and
demanded that PM Racan disclose the contents of the said letter.
He expects from Racan and his cabinet to take more decisive stand
towards the Tribunal under such circumstances.
Damir Kajin of the Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS) holds that the
most dubious element is the fact that the ICTY Prosecutor's Office
mentions the expression "the Republic of Srpska Krajina" which,
according to Kajin, cannot stand with only this pre-modifier. He
urges the government to interfere and show that this 'republic' was
a self-styled' formation.
Kajin also requests that the government explain how it let itself
have easy-going ways and not ensure the extradition of Gen.
Gotovina after Zagreb received the indictments.
(hina) ms