MATE GRANIC: RULING SIX-PARTY COALITION IS FACED WITH CRISIS

ZAGREB, Aug 22 (Hina) - Commenting on 'the Stipetic case', the president of the Democratic Centre (DC) party and Croatia's former foreign minister, Mate Granic, told reporters on Tuesday the biggest problem in relations between Croatia and The Hague-based war crimes tribunal was the issue of the so-called objective command responsibility and its extensive interpretation. Granic believes Croatia should consult the best international legal experts for their professional view. He said the problem must not be underestimated and added the government's fundamental duty is to protect national interests. Speaking to reporters in Zagreb, Granic estimated that the ruling six-party coalition is facing crisis. The Stipetic case shows the quality of relations within the coalition, he said. Ideologically confronted parties entered the coalition with the aim of toppling the HDZ and today there are major differences in what the leaders of those parties are saying, he said. It is hard to believe that the coalition, in its present composition, could survive until the next democratic election, said Granic, who, along with several other HDZ officials left the party following this year's January elections, and established the Democratic Centre. The heads of the six-party coalition met in Zagreb today to discuss all cases which during the summer burdened relations between the parties, particularly the Stipetic case. Three weeks ago, the Globus weekly published that The Hague-based war crimes tribunal was interested in Petar Stipetic, current Croatian Army Chief-of-Staff, who was one of the commanders in the 1995 operations which liberated Croatia's occupied areas. The case was made more complicated by contradictory and frequently unclear statements by politicians from the ruling coalition. (hina) jn rml