ZAGREB, Dec 15 (Hina) - Prime Minister Ivica Racan has described the recent interviews of Drazen Budisa, a candidate for the Social Liberals (HSLS) president, as pre-electoral campaigning for the leadership of this ruling coalition's
party. "It is a pre-electoral campaign to lead the HSLS," Racan briefly said about the interviews Budisa granted to the Vecernji List and Novi List dailies on Saturday, without commenting on the allegations. President Stipe Mesic declined to comment on Budisa's assessment of the situation within the HSLS. Asked if the ruling coalition might break-up if Budisa was re-elected president, he said there was no such danger. "Conceptually, they evidently disagree as to how the party, or the ruling coalition should function," Mesic told reporters. He declined to speculate if Budisa's possible return would stabilise or destabilise the political scene. "Anyone elected to lea
ZAGREB, Dec 15 (Hina) - Prime Minister Ivica Racan has described the
recent interviews of Drazen Budisa, a candidate for the Social
Liberals (HSLS) president, as pre-electoral campaigning for the
leadership of this ruling coalition's party.
"It is a pre-electoral campaign to lead the HSLS," Racan briefly
said about the interviews Budisa granted to the Vecernji List and
Novi List dailies on Saturday, without commenting on the
allegations.
President Stipe Mesic declined to comment on Budisa's assessment of
the situation within the HSLS. Asked if the ruling coalition might
break-up if Budisa was re-elected president, he said there was no
such danger.
"Conceptually, they evidently disagree as to how the party, or the
ruling coalition should function," Mesic told reporters.
He declined to speculate if Budisa's possible return would
stabilise or destabilise the political scene. "Anyone elected to
lead the HSLS will have to accept the logic that Croatia needs the
(ruling coalition's) programme and that it has to be carried out."
Reporters asked for a comment on Budisa's claim that announcing
possible indictments last summer, the Hague war crimes tribunal's
chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte told Deputy PM Goran Granic she
hoped the names on the indictments would suit the Croatian
government for political reasons.
"The Hague indictments mustn't be considered politically, they
have to be viewed only from the legal point of view. If somebody is
guilty, they have to answer, and it is a different matter if this
will have political repercussions one way or another. We mustn't
start from whether something is politically detrimental or
helpful, but whether justice is being done or nor," said Mesic.
Zlatko Tomcic, the parliamentary speaker and president of the
ruling coalition's Peasants' Party (HSS), dismissed claims that
Budisa's return to the helm of the HSLS would destabilise the ruling
coalition.
"I see no person in the HSLS leadership whose arrival at the helm of
the party would destabilise the coalition, not even Budisa," Tomcic
told the state television.
He dismissed the notion of a right centre coalition with the HSS at
the helm, and the possibility of a HSS coalition with the Social
Democrats (SDP).
As for the decision-making within the ruling coalition, Tomcic
thinks it is normal that the strongest party should have the biggest
influence in the process. He, however, dismissed claims that the
SDP had assumed the leading role.
Tomcic conceded the incumbent authorities were late with reforms,
"particularly the reform of making a clean break with the past." The
authorities have unnecessarily succumbed to the "media rumpus
about revenge seeking," thus restricting room for reforms, he
said.
Earlier today, Tomcic reaffirmed his party's faithfulness to the
ruling coalition. He wishes the HSLS would stabilise as soon as
possible, for the benefit of political relations in Croatia.
(hina) ha sb