ZAGREB, Aug 16 (Hina) - President of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) Drazen Budisa told the Globus weekly that Prime Minister Ivica Racan had in a telephone conversation with him on August 4 confirmed that the international
war crimes tribunal chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte had held talks with Racan, President Mesic and Justice Minister Stjepan Ivanisevic, during which she had mentioned Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff Petar Stipetic as a possible war crimes suspect. The mentioned officials had previously several times dismissed allegations that del Ponte had mentioned Stipetic. In an interview for Globus, Racan said he had told Budisa that "the Hague-based tribunal is carrying out various investigations, including people who could possibly be responsible for committed crimes". "By causing conflicts with the Hague we shall not protect the people for whom we know are not guilty, but will only aid the
ZAGREB, Aug 16 (Hina) - President of the Croatian Social Liberal
Party (HSLS) Drazen Budisa told the Globus weekly that Prime
Minister Ivica Racan had in a telephone conversation with him on
August 4 confirmed that the international war crimes tribunal chief
prosecutor Carla del Ponte had held talks with Racan, President
Mesic and Justice Minister Stjepan Ivanisevic, during which she had
mentioned Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff Petar Stipetic as a possible
war crimes suspect.
The mentioned officials had previously several times dismissed
allegations that del Ponte had mentioned Stipetic.
In an interview for Globus, Racan said he had told Budisa that "the
Hague-based tribunal is carrying out various investigations,
including people who could possibly be responsible for committed
crimes".
"By causing conflicts with the Hague we shall not protect the people
for whom we know are not guilty, but will only aid the true culprits.
It seems to me that those who are now trying to invite conflicts with
the Hague tribunal with to reinstate Croatia into isolation in
which it had been during the tome of President Tudjman. However,
whether anybody likes it or not, that time is behind us," Racan told
the weekly.
Asked by Hina to additionally explain Racan's statements, the
Government's Public Relations Office said the Prime Minister had
nothing further to add.
The most recent information published by Wednesday's issue of
Globus are continued reactions to the information about the
tribunal's interest in Stipetic. The information was initially
published b Globus two weeks ago.
Damir Kajin, deputy president of the Istrian Democratic Assembly
(IDS), one of the ruling coalition of six parties, assessed the case
had escalated to a political scandal-
Him and acting president of the Liberal party, Zlatko Kramaric,
hold that leaders of the six parties should discuss the situation,
take on a joint stance and find a solution to the situation.
President of the opposition Croatian Democratic Union party bench
at the Parliament, Vladimir Seks, suggested that Mesic, Racan,
Budisa, Ivanisevic and Defence Minister Jozo Rados, as well as
chief deputy prime minister Goran Granic sit before television
cameras and explain "who is pulling whose leg".
"Since they clearly claim that Stipetic had not been mentioned in
the talks, this would mean some of them are not telling the truth,"
Seks said.
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