SABOR ADOPTS DECLARATION ON HOMELAND DEFENCE WAR

ZAGREB, Oct 13 (Hina) - Following a heated two-day debate, the House of Representatives on Friday adopted with a majority vote a Declaration on the Homeland Defence War, the purpose of which is to put an end to the radical politicising of the Homeland Defence War and polarisation in the Croatian society. #L# The Declaration states, among else, that Serbia, Montenegro and the former Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), assisted by part of Croatian Serb citizens, carried out armed aggression against Croatia and that Croatia waged a just, defence war in which it defended its territory within its internationally recognised borders. Croatia, the Declaration reads, did not wage an aggressive, offensive war against any country. The basic value of the Homeland Defence War is the establishment and defence of Croatia's state sovereignty and territorial integrity, which created conditions for the operation of the law-based state and rule of law, the Declaration reads. Only Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) and Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU) deputies voted against the declaration. After the vote was taken, Ivo Sanader of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) bench said the bench was satisfied that the declaration, which he described as "definitely one of the most important documents", was adopted with a vast majority of votes. In order to contribute to increasing tolerance and lessening tensions in the society, the HDZ withdraws its proposals on initiating a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Ivica Racan, Interior Minister Sime Lucin and Veterans' Minister Ivica Pancic, Sanader said. The HDZ, Sanader said, wants to stop any further polarisation in the society as well as the radicalisation of the political scene and has therefore decided to give up its proposal on a debate on a vote of no confidence in the premier and the ministers. (hina) jn rml