ZAGREB, Oct 12 (Hina) - The Croatian Government on Thursday suggested to the Parliament's House of Representatives to discard a motion by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party bench for a vote on confidence to Prime Minister Ivica
Racan and Interior Minister Sime Lucin, describing the party's reasons for such a vote as unfounded. The HDZ parliament party bench claims that with their statements made after the murder of Milan Levar, Racan and Lucin had given space to various speculations regarding the murder of this international war crimes witness from Gospic. Levar gave testimony about alleged war crimes against Serb civilians in the central town of Gospic during Croatia's early 1990's war of independence. He was killed near the end of August of this year. The HDZ claims that with his statements, Racan had prejudged the guilt of persons arrested in Gospic in mid-September for suspicion of having comm
ZAGREB, Oct 12 (Hina) - The Croatian Government on Thursday
suggested to the Parliament's House of Representatives to discard a
motion by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party bench for a vote
on confidence to Prime Minister Ivica Racan and Interior Minister
Sime Lucin, describing the party's reasons for such a vote as
unfounded.
The HDZ parliament party bench claims that with their statements
made after the murder of Milan Levar, Racan and Lucin had given
space to various speculations regarding the murder of this
international war crimes witness from Gospic. Levar gave testimony
about alleged war crimes against Serb civilians in the central town
of Gospic during Croatia's early 1990's war of independence. He was
killed near the end of August of this year.
The HDZ claims that with his statements, Racan had prejudged the
guilt of persons arrested in Gospic in mid-September for suspicion
of having committed war crimes against Serb civilians in 1991, and
violated the Constitution by meddling in the judicial authority.
The party said Lucin had "made an unlawful statement that one of the
(above mentioned) suspects had confessed to the crimes".
The HDZ's motion for initiating the vote of confidence to Racan and
Lucin was signed by 16 members of parliament.
The Government's stance is that the Prime Minister's statements
about September's police actions had been unequivocal and clear.
The Prime Minister always stressed the necessity and obligation for
the respect of a law-based state and the sanctioning of war crimes,
and asserted that in a law-based state the law was applicable
equally to everybody, the Government said.
The Government holds Minister Lucin's statement could not be deemed
as illegal, as it was obvious Lucin had commented on police reports,
which is not prohibited by law.
The government added to its explanation the statements given by
Racan and Lucin to the media.
The issue of confidence to the prime minister and minister Lucin is
on the agenda of the current session of the House of
Representatives.
(hina) lml jn