ZAGREB, Oct 15 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic has expressed his regret over the deaths of kidney patients who died in Croatian hospitals last week following dialyses, adding the circumstances and causes of, as well as
responsibility for the tragedy should be established as soon as possible. The health minister's making her mandate available was a measured decision, Mesic believes, adding it would not be good for the minister to step down because she is not personally responsible for the tragedy and is needed in shedding light on the deaths. Speaking about current topics in an interview on Croatian Radio, Mesic also commented on a conflict between Defence Minister Jozo Rados and Army Chief-of-Staff Petar Stipetic. He said he still had not made a decision on the case. The Rados-Stipetic conflict culminated with a recent statement by General Stipetic who accused Minister Rados of "wishing t
ZAGREB, Oct 15 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic has
expressed his regret over the deaths of kidney patients who died in
Croatian hospitals last week following dialyses, adding the
circumstances and causes of, as well as responsibility for the
tragedy should be established as soon as possible.
The health minister's making her mandate available was a measured
decision, Mesic believes, adding it would not be good for the
minister to step down because she is not personally responsible for
the tragedy and is needed in shedding light on the deaths.
Speaking about current topics in an interview on Croatian Radio,
Mesic also commented on a conflict between Defence Minister Jozo
Rados and Army Chief-of-Staff Petar Stipetic. He said he still had
not made a decision on the case.
The Rados-Stipetic conflict culminated with a recent statement by
General Stipetic who accused Minister Rados of "wishing to
introduce military dictatorship" and in a Croatian paper objected
that the Ivica Racan government was slow in passing laws which could
help Croatia adjust to NATO and EU military standards.
Reacting to Stipetic's statements, Rados sent Mesic a letter saying
it was inappropriate for active officers to make political
statements without the authorisation of a competent ministry.
Mesic believes Stipetic requested that laws, such as a law on
defence, be adopted faster. Stipetic did not criticise the Prime
Minister but said that some laws must be passed in urgent procedure,
and the current procedure is anything but. I claim the same, too
many laws are waiting for adoption, they must be passed so that they
could be adjusted to the EU and NATO legislation, the President
says.
Mesic added that Rados left for China at the head of a military
delegation and he did not know anything about it.
"What should I do now, request that he be replaced immediately? I
will ask him when he comes back if it is too much for me, as the
supreme commander, to know where and why military delegations are
travelling?"
Asked if with his recent public statement general Stipetic has
somehow put him in an awkward position since he previously retired
12 generals for forwarding an open letter to the public, Mesic said:
"You may interpret it as you want, but it is a fact that General
Stipetic is urging the implementation of laws and fulfilment of
obligations, not toppling the institutions of the Croatian
state."
Croatia cannot be fully satisfied with the indictment of the Hague
war crimes tribunal against Slobodan Milosevic for crimes
committed against Croats because it does not include genocide
charges, Mesic said. He dismissed claims that only Croatia filled
the Hague detention centre, because, he said, General Rahim Ademi
was the only Croatian citizen to sit there and he went there
voluntarily.
Mesic confirmed that a former Croatian diplomat, Ivica Mastruko,
would work at the President's office and be in charge of the
communal system and relations with religious communities.
(hina) sb rml