ZAGREB, Oct 2 (Hina) - Croatian Defence Minister Jozo Rados said on Monday the President's decision to retire seven Croatian Army generals without consultation with him had been adopted relatively quickly for objective
reasons.
ZAGREB, Oct 2 (Hina) - Croatian Defence Minister Jozo Rados said on
Monday the President's decision to retire seven Croatian Army
generals without consultation with him had been adopted relatively
quickly for objective reasons. #L#
Addressing a news conference in Zagreb, Rados recalled that at the
time President Stipe Mesic made the decision, he was outside of
Croatia (on Tenerife).
Last Friday President Mesic sent into retirement five active
Croatian Army generals after they made a public political statement
contrary to the regulations of military service. The seven
generals, together with five other retired and reserve generals,
forwarded an open letter to the public and institutions accusing
the authorities of the negative treatment of the Homeland War.
Upon his return to Zagreb, Defence Minister Rados held a meeting
with President Mesic.
Rados reiterated he was not questioning President Mesic's decision
and added it would be logical for consultations to have been held
prior to the adoption of the decision for the sake of cooperation
within the authorities and the Defence Minister's role in military
matters.
Talks on powers within constitutional changes and on cooperation
between the Defence Ministry and the President's Office should be
accelerated, Rados said, announcing the government would start
talks about those issues this week.
He hoped a meeting of the highest representatives of authority - the
Presidents of the State, Government and the Sabor - would be held
next week.
Answering a reporter's question, Rados said he would stick by his
previous statement that the President's decision was drastic, but
he dismissed media claims that he was ready to tender his
resignation over Mesic's decision.
By forwarding an open letter to the public, the generals have
entered the political context designed by the former HDZ
authorities, since "it was those authorities which soiled the
Croatian Army and made it possible to criminalise the Homeland
War."
Regardless of what they intended to achieve with the letter, the
generals should have never allowed political manipulation, Rados
said.
Rados believes that by tolerating numerous cases of abuse, the HDZ
had started the process of criminalisation of the Homeland War and
allowed generals to be singled out as culprits for alleged crimes.
I expect that new people will be appointed to the posts of the
retired Croatian Army generals soon and by then those posts will be
held by the retired generals or their deputies, Rados said adding
decisions on retirement would probably be handed to the generals
today.
Rados said he had not had any direct contact with the generals after
their retirement.
He said though that before the generals' letter was made public, he
had been informed about the generals' dissatisfaction, whereas
generals Krsticevic and Norac approached him regarding media
claims.
Rados dismissed media claims that general Krsticevic had illegally
acquired the status of disabled war veteran. He added though that he
could not officially rise in defence of all generals.
"Not all generals were singled out by the media in the same way, nor
were their merits and responsibility the same, but am I not
authorised to assess it," Rados said.
Speaking about the current situation in the Croatian Army, Rados
stressed the army's maturity at a time of significant political
turbulence in society and complex transition relations and
expressed conviction the army would continue securing peace and
fulfilling its legal and constitutional obligations.
(hina) jn rml