I WILL NOT COMMENT ON MESIC'S DECISION, I RESPECT IT - PRIME MINISTER

ZAGREB, Sept 29 (Hina) - I will not comment on the decision of the President of the State. I said I respect the decision, and I stick to that, Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan said Friday afternoon when asked to comment on the decision of President Mesic on retiring seven generals signatories of yesterday's open letter. There is no doubt, in such situations one must firmly react and everyone who felt that the move of 12 generals was not good will understand this, Racan said. The Prime Minister was also asked to comment on a statement of the Croatian Defence Ministry in line with which "President's decision is drastic and taken without consultation with and knowledge of the defence minister". It may seem that the decision is more or less drastic, Racan said, adding that in this case it was irrelevant. The only problem here is lack of information and one must not escape from the fact that such things must be corrected in the future, Racan said. The president today reached a decision on retiring seven active army generals who were among the 12 signatories of yesterday's open letter in which they called on state institutions and the media to oppose the negative and false presentation of the Homeland Defence War, Croatia's early 1990s war of independence from the former Yugoslav federation. (hina) it