HDZ WANTS MESIC TO COMMENT ON STATEMENT BY FORMER YU PREMIER

ZAGREB, July 26 (Hina) - The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) believes it is inadmissible for President Stipe Mesic not to have responded to the former Yugoslav premier Milan Panic's statement and 'his false and insulting explanation of the causes and course of the Serbian aggression on Croatia, and the meaning of the Homeland War," the party said in a statement on Wednesday. The party demanded from Mesic to give an explanation and distance himself from Panic's statement that he (Mesic) supports the imminent reunification of Yugoslavia under the patronage of the EU, or face political consequences. The party reminds that President Mesic on Monday received and held talks with Panic, a former premier of Yugoslavia (1992-1993), who headed the Yugoslav government at the time of the Yugoslav aggression on Croatia. Milan Panic has made false and insulting statements regarding Croatia, the victim of the Serbian aggression, and the Croat people, by saying that one should forget the past but not those who are responsible for the tragedies which happened due to, as he said, "irresponsible persons who call themselves nationalists." The HDZ considers it especially insulting that Panic equalises the late Croatian president Franjo Tudjman with the war criminal Slobodan Milosevic, and describes him as one of those who are responsible for the war and as "a sick man who fought for borders." With his statement Panic directly opposes the provisions of the Croatian Constitution and with his speech on the Homeland War he insults the victims of the Serbian aggression, the HDZ said. President Mesic, by failing to respond, has violated the presidential obligation to defend the constitutional and legal order and independence of the Croatian state, read the statement, signed by HDZ secretary-general Joso Skara. (hina) mm rml