ZAGREB, Aug 15 (Hina) - General director of the Croatian Radio Television (HTV) Mirko Galic on Tuesday dismissed accusations by president of the Serb People's Party and member of Parliament, Milan Djukic, who asserted the HTV had
clearly stated its position as being in the service of state authorities through broadcasts of reactions to Djukic's statements. Djukic sent an open letter to the HTV director claiming the network was an instrument of the state authority more than ever, since the Television aired reactions to Djukic's claims regarding the "Storm" liberation operation. The operation liberated a part of Croatia which had been occupied by Serb secessionists in the summer of 1995. In his reply, Galic said that following Djukic's statements about the "shameful" character of the Storm operation, the HTV had the same day aired reactions to his claims made by people "which Djukic had more or less directly
ZAGREB, Aug 15 (Hina) - General director of the Croatian Radio
Television (HTV) Mirko Galic on Tuesday dismissed accusations by
president of the Serb People's Party and member of Parliament,
Milan Djukic, who asserted the HTV had clearly stated its position
as being in the service of state authorities through broadcasts of
reactions to Djukic's statements.
Djukic sent an open letter to the HTV director claiming the network
was an instrument of the state authority more than ever, since the
Television aired reactions to Djukic's claims regarding the
"Storm" liberation operation.
The operation liberated a part of Croatia which had been occupied by
Serb secessionists in the summer of 1995.
In his reply, Galic said that following Djukic's statements about
the "shameful" character of the Storm operation, the HTV had the
same day aired reactions to his claims made by people "which Djukic
had more or less directly accused of participating in 'shameful
acts'".
"What is more normal than to broadcast various views and opinions
about the same subject in the same show? The HTV news programme did
this, taking away your 24-hour monopoly of the political
interpretation of Storm. This offended you! Why? We deem this an
example of pluralist information, and you deem it a sign of
'serving' the authority. In this we disagree and we never shall,"
Galic stressed.
Mirko Galic added that across-the-board labelling of Storm as a
"shame on the Croatian people" does not serve the interests of
reconciliation between Croats and Serbs, nor does it facilitate the
integration of Serb returnees into the Croatian state and political
area.
At Djukic's request to make it possible for him to appear on
television for a time period proportional to the time frame
available to his critics, or else he would file a suit against the
HTV, Galic said Djukic could take part in dialogue shows the
Television will be broadcasting regarding the issues.
Djukic's claims the most prominent figures of Croatia's current
leadership, including Croatian President Stipe Mesic, were among
those responsible for the crimes committed in the Storm operation,
and that among political parties, the SDP (Social Democratic Party)
and the HSLS (Croatian Social Liberal Party) were the most
accountable for what failed to be done, were commented on by
President Mesic, officials of the SDP and HSLS and members of
parliament Djurdja Adlesic and Zdravko Tomac.
(hina) lml jn