OPPOSITION LEADER BASHES MILITARY CHIEF-OF-STAFF

ZAGREB, Oct 5 (Hina) - Commenting on a recent conflict between Defence Minister Jozo Rados and Gen. Petar Stipetic, the military chief-of-staff, the president of the strongest opposition party (HDZ) and deputy chairman of parliament's internal affairs and national security committee said on Friday he saw no reason why Stipetic was still in service. "If we are to be consistent, I see no reason why (Gen. Stipetic) is still in service," Ivo Sanader of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) said after a joint session of parliament's committees on foreign affairs and internal affairs and national security. Last year, ten generals were replaced for making political statements and Gen. Stipetic has done nothing in recent months but make political statements, Sanader said. Asked if today's session on security had addressed Stipetic's conflict with Defence Minister Rados, Sanader answered in the affirmative but offered no details. In an interview with Novi List daily of Thursday, Rados said the military chief-of-staff had crossed into politics too much and should leave. According to Rados, Stipetic's statement that the defence minister wants to introduce a military dictatorship by wishing to allow the Security and Intelligence Service (SIS) wiretap citizens, and a recent statement in Bjelovar commending disobedience to the army's supreme commander, represents deep politicising and a departure from basic democratic principles. The chairwoman of parliament's internal affairs and national security committee, Djurdja Adlesic, today dismissed media allegations about a secret meeting on replacing Stipetic. A weekly has said that a secret meeting was held in Karlovac earlier this month at which Adlesic and Rados allegedly held talks on how to replace the military chief-of-staff as painlessly as possible. (hina) ha sb