ZAGREB, Oct 13 (Hina) - Friday morning's parliamentary discussion on issues relating to the Croatian Homeland Defence War was rather calm in comparison to the heated debate the Sabor's House of Representatives led on Thursday. Many
MPs - both opposition deputies and those from the ruling coalition - appealed for consensus on a text of the joint document on the Croatian Homeland Defence War which should be elaborated by a working group that includes members of all parliamentary parties. Anto Djapic of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) described the situation in the Sabor hall today as good and expressed his belief that MPs were very near to reaching consensus on the joint declaration. Vlado Jukic from the same party said the Homeland Defence War, its goals and results had never been brought into question, but what was endangered was its values owing to media negativistic articles on the matte
ZAGREB, Oct 13 (Hina) - Friday morning's parliamentary discussion
on issues relating to the Croatian Homeland Defence War was rather
calm in comparison to the heated debate the Sabor's House of
Representatives led on Thursday.
Many MPs - both opposition deputies and those from the ruling
coalition - appealed for consensus on a text of the joint document
on the Croatian Homeland Defence War which should be elaborated by a
working group that includes members of all parliamentary parties.
Anto Djapic of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) described the
situation in the Sabor hall today as good and expressed his belief
that MPs were very near to reaching consensus on the joint
declaration.
Vlado Jukic from the same party said the Homeland Defence War, its
goals and results had never been brought into question, but what was
endangered was its values owing to media negativistic articles on
the matter.
Vlatko Pavletic of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) believed
that there had been a public campaign against Croatian generals and
army and that "an atmosphere was created in which there were some
calculations as nothing happens by chance in politics". Pavletic
commended Government members for signing individually a statement
on the war which according to this HDZ member could play a role in
defusing the situation.
Many deputies agreed that tensions should be eased and 'dark spots'
from the Homeland War removed.
One of them is Ivan Jarnjak of the HDZ, who said that if somebody
committed a war crime - and there were war crimes - they should be
sanctioned, but this must not be presented as something widespread,
as it would insult all war veterans, Jarnjak added.
Ljubo Cesic-Rojs of the HDZ said the genuine Croatian soldiers -
defenders neither set houses on fire nor committed crimes. That was
done by deserters and fifth-columnists. Therefore "let us close
ranks" and solve the problems, this HDZ deputy appealed.
Some MPs maintained that political tensions began to rise with the
start of the revision of disability degrees of war veterans. They
(MPs) were not against the revision, but they could not agree with
the manner it was being carried out.
The lower house is to resume the discussion on Friday afternoon.
During a break of the session the above-mentioned working group
convened to harmonise views about the text of the joint document on
the Croatian Defence War.
(hina) ms