ZAGREB, Nov 5 (Hina) - Croatian Public Works Minister Radimir Cacic on Monday forwarded a message to parliamentary deputies apologising for his statement saying the Parliament represents a natural environment for obscenities such as
uttered by MP Anto Kovacevic. In the message, forwarded to Sabor Speaker Zlatko Tomcic, Cacic said his comment on Kovacevic's remark about MP Vesna Pusic, which he considered an unprecedented insult for the parliament, had been misunderstood and misinterpreted. "Wishing to remove any doubt and prevent possible ill-intentioned interpretations, I hereby apologise to all respected and honourable deputies, if they felt insulted by my statement," Cacic said. During a parliamentary session in mid-October, MP Anto Kovacevic of the Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU) made a sexist remark about Croatian People's Party (HNS) president and MP Vesna Pusic. Several days later, commentin
ZAGREB, Nov 5 (Hina) - Croatian Public Works Minister Radimir Cacic
on Monday forwarded a message to parliamentary deputies
apologising for his statement saying the Parliament represents a
natural environment for obscenities such as uttered by MP Anto
Kovacevic.
In the message, forwarded to Sabor Speaker Zlatko Tomcic, Cacic
said his comment on Kovacevic's remark about MP Vesna Pusic, which
he considered an unprecedented insult for the parliament, had been
misunderstood and misinterpreted.
"Wishing to remove any doubt and prevent possible ill-intentioned
interpretations, I hereby apologise to all respected and
honourable deputies, if they felt insulted by my statement," Cacic
said.
During a parliamentary session in mid-October, MP Anto Kovacevic of
the Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU) made a sexist remark
about Croatian People's Party (HNS) president and MP Vesna Pusic.
Several days later, commenting on the incident, HNS's Cacic said
the incident had unmasked a large number of parliamentary deputies
as people who tolerated vulgarity.
Deputies of the ruling coalition then requested that Prime Minister
Ivica Racan caution Cacic about his inappropriate conduct towards
the parliament and deputies.
Speaker Zlatko Tomcic called on Cacic on several occasions to
apologise to deputies.
The Opposition's Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) had previously
suggested that the parliament give Cacic a vote of no confidence
over his statement that the HDZ-run government had carried out an
act of aggression on Bosnia-Herzegovina. According to unofficial
sources in parliament, some deputies of the ruling coalition have
supported this proposal.
Asked to comment on HNS president Vesna Pusic's statement that the
HNS would leave the coalition should the parliament vote no
confidence in Cacic, Racan told reporters today every party had the
right to decide if it wanted to be part of the coalition or not.
He expressed regret that the parliament would probably have to vote
about confidence in Cacic and hoped the issue would no longer be in
the centre of public attention.
(hina) rml