HDZ'S SEKS: ICTY HAS BECOME MEANS TO REALISE POLITICAL GOALS

ZAGREB, Mar 6 (Hina) - The Hague war crimes tribunal has become a means to realise political goals and redefine historical facts, Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) acting president Vladimir Seks said in Zagreb on Monday. Seks reiterated the formerly ruling party's position on the 45- year-imprisonment sentence the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia last week passed against Bosnian Croat Tihomir Blaskic, and reminded the HDZ had requested an extraordinary House of Representatives session on the subject. The same request has also been forwarded to the president of parliament's House of Counties to convene a session towards week's end, Seks said. HDZ Presidency member Ivo Sanader said the party would not defend any war crime, and that it advocated co-operation with The Hague tribunal. He added however, "we have the right to express our disagreement with (the tribunal's) work, because we believe this international tribunal is managed with double standards." We will not allow that Croatia's national and security interests be brought into question, and we believe the Croatian government's steps should be considered, Sanader said. (hina) ha mm