PRIME MINISTER: ID DO NOT EXPECT DEFENCE MINISTER TO RESIGN

ZAGREB, Sept 30 (Hina) - "I do not wish to comment on opinions whether the decision of the President of the state (on retiring seven generals) was too harsh or not harsh enough - it (the decision) is in line with the Constitution and for many citizens of this country it is a logical reaction to an intolerable act of a group of generals - and this is the most important fact in this whole issue", Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan said Saturday. The Prime Minister also said he did not expect Croatian Defence Minister Jozo Rados to resign and positively assessed Minister Rados' work. Racan expressed regret that the retiring took place, adding, however, the generals made the first step. "The second step was logical when it comes to democratic Croatia, because such political engagements of active generals are not allowed in democratic Croatia nor in any other democratic country in the world. If we wish to be like other democratic countries, than it is logical that we cannot discuss a decision which was passed after the mistake of those generals", Racan said. Racan stressed he did not expect Minister Rados' resignation. "I positively asses the work of minister Rados", Racan said and added he would not accept Rados' resignation. "I expect such ideas to be discussed with me first, and not with others, which is logical because I am the prime minister", Racan said expressing a belief that Rados, as a responsible man, would not submit his resignation. "We are about to face a great step forward in the Croatian Army, the reform and reorganisation", the Prime Minister said. "I believe that once the reorganisation is adopted, things are going to be clearer, and weaknesses will be corrected along the way", Racan said. When asked to comment why Minister Rados had not been informed of the President's decision, Racan said that "such omissions and lack of information are not good", and added that this was a minor issue which could and must be corrected along the way. "I would like a minister in my government to be informed. An omission took place, but it does not belittle the fact that the move of the generals needed to be reacted to", the Prime Minister said. First Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic agreed with the Prime Minister and said "one can like or dislike the decision of the President, but it was the only possible thing to do because military organisation and the functioning of the army cannot stand such expeditions". When asked to comment on a statement of the Croatian Defence Ministry which read that the decision of the president on retiring of the generals was "drastic", Granic said that since the minister was not here, this was a piece of information at second hand. "I talked to the minister, as well as the Prime Minister did, but I believe that the decision is not brought into question, nor it could be discussed. We will discuss the implementation of the decision, but this is the issue for calm and patient talks", Granic 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