ZAGREB, Oct 1 (Hina) - The Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) does not call into question Croatian President's decision to retire seven generals as it is in compliance with the Constitution and law, but this party assesses that the
decision itself does not resolve problems and issues which the 12 generals have cited in their open letter, said the HSLS leader, Drazen Budisa, on Sunday.
ZAGREB, Oct 1 (Hina) - The Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) does
not call into question Croatian President's decision to retire
seven generals as it is in compliance with the Constitution and law,
but this party assesses that the decision itself does not resolve
problems and issues which the 12 generals have cited in their open
letter, said the HSLS leader, Drazen Budisa, on Sunday.#L#
Today also, Defence Minister Jozo Rados (a senior HSLS official)
said he would not tender resignation.#L#
Nobody in the HSLS brings into question that what President Mesic
has done. It is true, however, that some of generals-signatories to
the letter have been systematically attacked in the harshest and
coarsest manner and, moreover, apprehension of some of them has
been announced. It is also true that at such moments they have not
been defended, Budisa said at a break of Sunday's session of the
HSLS leadership ('Malo Vijece'), which focused on the current
situation in Croatia.
"Every citizen has the right to good reputation and this also
applies to Croatian Army generals who played a prominent role
during the Homeland Defence War," Budisa said adding that this war
could not be promoted through only clarification of its dark sides.
There is no nation that earn a recognition for its liberation war by
concentrating on its dark sides and that's why the Croatian
Homeland Defence War should be fully and symbolically promoted with
the simultaneous efforts to shed light on negative events, Budisa
expounded.
This party, which is one of six parties in the ruling coalition,
regrets that prior to Mesic's decision, no necessary consultations
had been conducted, because talks could have removed
misunderstanding.
Defence Minister Rados told reporters that he would not resign and
that he had talked with President Mesic earlier in the morning on
the communication between the President's Office and his
ministry.
"The President has agreed that it would be logical in such situation
to consult Defence Minister. This time, however, it was not
possible," Rados said who had been on official tour in Spain when
Mesic decided to retire generals after they forwarded an open
letter in which they called on putting an end to the criminalisation
of the Croatian Homeland Defence War, but which was assessed as
their engagement in politics.
Some difficulties occur in the communication as it is not regulated
precisely by law and cases of the "faulty communication" should be
removed as soon as possible so that we can start with the re-
organisation in the army and this ministry, Rados said.
He assessed the situation in the armed forces as normal adding that
he did not expect any resistance to the decision on the generals'
retirement.
Commenting on Saturday's proclamation of the Croatian Democratic
Union (HDZ) when this opposition party urged early elections in
order that the "Communist regime" could be toppled, Budisa said the
HDZ continued to conduct a policy which voters had punished at the
last elections and that the party did not learn a lesson from the its
failure at January 3 ballot.
"By the proclamation, the HDZ has showed it does not want to be an
opposition partner in the joint task of building Croatia as a
democratic and prosperous country. Instead, it has actually called
on the public to overthrow the democratically elected
authorities," Budisa said.
The HSLS deplores such a policy of the HDZ, he added.
(hina) ms