KRPINA REACTS UPON RADOS' STATEMENT THAT HDZ SOILED ARMY

ZAGREB, Oct 3 (Hina) - Drago Krpina, a deputy of the strongest opposition party - the Croatian Defence Union (HDZ) - on Tuesday forwarded an open letter to Defence Minister Jozo Rados claiming that owing to his statement the minister gave yesterday saying that "it was former (HDZ) authorities which soiled the Croatian Army," Rados joined "the orchestra of nervous and red-cheecked reactions, and, even threats, following the HDZ proclamation." The former authorities did not blemish the Croatian army, what you assert in fear of losing positions in authorities, but they, under most difficult conditions, created the Croatian Armed Forces, organised defence and liberation of Croatia and succeeded in it, Krpina emphasised in his letter. This high-ranking HDZ politicians claimed that the goal of such statement was to distract the public attention from the fact that the incumbent authorities were pushing the country in an increasingly serious economic, social, political and security crisis. Krpina wrote that" 'commander' Mesic (thinking of Croatian President Stjepan Mesic) ... and the last Croatian Communist leader Ivica Racan, unfortunately with your participation, are ralativising Croatia's freedom and state independence, the price of which was paid in blood," and accused them of exposing the persons who should be given the most credit for Croatia's freedom to the public lynch. (hina) ms