LIOVIC DENIES HE THREATENED COUP D'ETAT

ZAGREB, May 4 (Hina) - President of the Association of Croatian Homeland War Military Invalids (HVIDRA), Marinko Liovic, denied he had threatened a coup d'etat and "mining" the tourist season. At Thursday's news conference Liovic expressed regret for the "Globus" weekly having, in a published interview with Liovic, "graced the front page" with such claims. Wednesday's issue of Globus announced the interview across the front page with the headline "Is Croatia Facing a Coup d'Etat?". "HVIDRA had never and will never entertain such ideas, the Globus reporter misinterpreted everything," Liovic said, extending an apology to all Homeland War soldiers and Croatian citizens on behalf of the association. "Globus's reporter misinterpreted my statements on blocking traffic. I said HVIDRA was capable of blocking all entrances into Croatia considering the territorial placement of its members," Liovic said, expressing conviction this would not happen. He assessed that a blockage of roads represented a legitimate right to protest for which nobody was held accountable in criminal law. He dismissed claims that he had threatened a coup d'etat, saying this had been wrongly drawn from the context. Liovic also refuted that he had relayed a message to foreigners that they were not welcome. I said I would, if no dialogue with Government representatives occurs, indicate to all foreign embassies in Croatia and all Croats would be sorry for what their citizens would possibly experience in Croatia, Liovic said. "If the state attorney estimates that what I have said made me liable under the law, I will give up my parliamentary immunity and I am prepared for accountability," he stressed. The soldiers are seeking guarantees that the government would not finance Serb returnees at the expense of the rights of soldiers. Unless a dialogue occurs between Homeland War soldiers' associations and the Government by the end of May, it is possible that the soldiers block border crossings and forward a request to the international community to try and mend the discriminating position of soldiers," Liovic said. He claimed the dialogue had not yet been established, and expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that not one of the associations had received any funds from the government budget. He asserted the Government was carrying out a complete return of "abolished Serbs" with government resources intended for associations (15 million kuna, or about US$1.76 million), "curbing" the rights of Croatian Homeland War soldiers and "conserving" the construction of 1,400 flats for soldiers. "We are aware of international pressures and support by foreign factors to the election of the new authorities, but the authority does not have to fulfil given promises to the detriment of soldiers, and we will not allow this," he stressed. (hina) lml jn