ZAGREB LAWYER PRESSES CHARGES AGAINST MESIC

ZAGREB, Feb 14 (Hina) - The municipal State Attorney's Office in Zagreb on Monday received charges which a lawyer, Dubravko Buljan, preferred against Croatia's President-elect Stjepan Mesic, for "a scandalous and disgraceful statement Mesic said in his interview with 'Le Monde' when he equated Franjo Tudjman and Slobodan Milosevic." In Buljan's mind, Mesic has thus committed a criminal act of damaging the reputation of the Republic of Croatia, in line Article 151 of the penal code. The lawyer maintained that with such statement Mesic "has exposed the Croatian people to mockery, contempt and scorn." He believed that there were all elements to press charges on the grounds that a criminal act was done in tarnishing the reputation of the Republic of Croatia, as it is specified in Article 151 of Croatia's penal code. While speaking to Le Monde on February 7 Mesic told a little joke . "Do you know the difference between (late Croatian President Franjo) Tudjman and (incumbent Yugoslav President Slobodan) Milosevic?" he was quoted in the paper. "One is six foot under his homeland, while the other cannot leave his homeland," he answered. The statement was cited by the Croatian press as well. On 11 February Mesic gave a statement confirming that he did say so to the French daily. He explained that it was a joke adding that "a joke is a joke whereas serious and responsible attitude towards the job is quite another thing." Lawyer Buljan held that the fact that Mesic had not been officially inaugurated as Croatia's President when he said that to Le Monde did not lessen his liability, as the international and Croatian public had started perceiving him as Croatian President. In Buljan's mind Mesic has told the Croatian people that "there is no difference between a President, elected by the Croatian people with a majority vote at elections for two terms of office and vested with a mandate to lead the nation in their joint project of struggling for the independence and the honourable Homeland War against the aggression of a greater Serbia until their complete victory, and a President of the country (Slobodan Milosevic) who launched and waged that conquering war against Croatia and who is being wanted by the international community as a war criminal." (hina) ms