ZAGREB, April 12 (Hina) - Croatian Deputy Premier Zeljka Antunovic on Wednesday said the government would do everything to ensure alternate accommodation for Bosnian Croat refugees living in Serb-owned houses in Croatia. "All those
who want to stay in Croatia need not worry, no one will be thrown into the street, despite the fact that most use real estate which is the private property of others," Antunovic said during Question Hour in parliament's House of Representatives. She announced the government would "in a short time" prevent further abuse of a situation in which some are using up to three houses. Antunovic stressed the Serbs' return to Croatia was in no way connected to the fate of displaced Croats, and that the government would treat both equally, as victims of war. The deputy premier accused the former, Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ)-headed government of having politically manipulated Bosnian
ZAGREB, April 12 (Hina) - Croatian Deputy Premier Zeljka Antunovic
on Wednesday said the government would do everything to ensure
alternate accommodation for Bosnian Croat refugees living in Serb-
owned houses in Croatia.
"All those who want to stay in Croatia need not worry, no one will be
thrown into the street, despite the fact that most use real estate
which is the private property of others," Antunovic said during
Question Hour in parliament's House of Representatives.
She announced the government would "in a short time" prevent
further abuse of a situation in which some are using up to three
houses.
Antunovic stressed the Serbs' return to Croatia was in no way
connected to the fate of displaced Croats, and that the government
would treat both equally, as victims of war.
The deputy premier accused the former, Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ)-headed government of having politically manipulated Bosnian
Croat refugees on Croatian territory. "For the sake of political
manipulation, they were given unrealistic promises, contrary to
the Croatian Constitution," she asserted.
According to Antunovic, those people were deceived in a major way
and are today greatly disappointed because they were promised they
would be able to keep the property of others they were accommodated
in, as well as that the Croatian government would settle
everything.
The government does not care only for Serbs, as has been insinuated,
but for all victims of war, and is resolute to put an end to
discrimination of victims of war by national belonging, as has been
done thus far, the deputy premier said.
Jure Radic of the HDZ reacted by saying that the former government
too cared for all victims of war, and not only Croat ones. HDZ's
Vladimir Seks asserted those who fought against Croatia could not
be considered victims of the Homeland War, while Dragi Krpina
wondered why Croatia's taxpayers should finance the rebuilding of
houses which belong to those who fought against Croatia.
Vesna Pusic of the Croatian People's Party said it was incorrect
that in the past all Croatian citizens were treated equally. The
call to Serbs to stay in Croatia before "Storm", a military
operation through which Croatia in 1995 liberated Serb-occupied
parts of its territory, sounded intimidating and as a threat, she
asserted.
The position that former Croatian President Franjo Tudjman's call
on Croatian Serbs to stay was a threat and actually an invitation to
leave is a complete untruth and a chilling political position, said
HDZ's Ljerka Mintas-Hodak. Seks agreed, adding nobody had ever
treated Croatia's citizens as ethnic tribes as, he said, Pusic
claimed.
HDZ's Ljubo Cesic-Rojs said Serbs could not be equated with Croats.
They are the aggressor, and not the victim, he asserted.
Deputy Premier Antunovic said she had not equated the aggressor
with the victim, but spoken only about victims of war. MPs' claims
that she equates the aggressor with the victim are a political
manipulation of the Croatian public, she asserted.
(hina) ha mm