LIOVIC DEMANDS THAT MINISTER PANCIC APOLOGISES FOR HIS STATEMENT

ZAGREB, Feb 4 (Hina) - The community of counties' associations of Croatian Homeland War veterans (HVIDRA) and the coordination of 16 associations founded in the Homeland War on Friday demanded arguments or an apology of Croatian Homeland War Veterans' Minister Ivica Pancic for his statements in the press on so-called "professional victims" and alleged irregularities in the work of the associations. According to the president of the HVIDRA Marinko Liovic, the associations demanded that Foreign Minister Tonino Picula takes back his statement that the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) had jurisdiction over the Croatian military and police operation of "Storm" which liberated a part of Croatia's territory. The associations also demanded amendments to the constitutional law on cooperation with the ICTY. The HVIDRA president was supported by president of the Zagreb branch of Association of Homeland War Volunteers (UHDDR) Mladen Rogic, and the president of the Croatian Armed Forces (HOC), Ivica Ficko. They assessed Pancic's statements as inappropriate and imprudent. In their opinion, Prime Minister Ivica Racan appointed a completely unknow person the Minister of Homeland War Veterans. (hina) it