ZAGREB, Oct 16 (Hina) - Croatia's prime minister reiterated on Monday there were no conflicts between him and the president of the republic as regards amendments to the Constitution, dismissing allegations that the amendments gave the
PM a chance to strip the head of state of power. The amendments need to be completed as soon as possible, PM Ivica Racan told Croatian Radio's "How the Government Rules" broadcast. He said there were open issues in connection with constitutional provisions regarding defence, like the relationship between the armed forces' main headquarters and the defence ministry. Racan announced talks on the matter with a presidential think-tank, and reiterated he agreed the president of the republic should be the supreme commander of the armed forces both in peace and war time. As regards relations with neighbouring Yugoslavia, the prime minister said their normalisation depended primarily
ZAGREB, Oct 16 (Hina) - Croatia's prime minister reiterated on
Monday there were no conflicts between him and the president of the
republic as regards amendments to the Constitution, dismissing
allegations that the amendments gave the PM a chance to strip the
head of state of power.
The amendments need to be completed as soon as possible, PM Ivica
Racan told Croatian Radio's "How the Government Rules" broadcast.
He said there were open issues in connection with constitutional
provisions regarding defence, like the relationship between the
armed forces' main headquarters and the defence ministry.
Racan announced talks on the matter with a presidential think-tank,
and reiterated he agreed the president of the republic should be the
supreme commander of the armed forces both in peace and war time.
As regards relations with neighbouring Yugoslavia, the prime
minister said their normalisation depended primarily on democratic
processes in Serbia.
Accounts need to be squared with former Yugoslav President Slobodan
Milosevic's aggression policy and not only with himself, said
Racan. Relations will be normalised when there are no more plans for
a Greater Serbia, when Serbia accepts that succession to the former
Yugoslav federation is the right of all the states born after its
break-up.
The prime minister reiterated Croatia would insist that the
international community refrain from applying dual standards after
the recent changes in Serbia's leadership. Such standards do exist,
but Croatia is glad the European Union core rejects them, he said.
(hina) ha jn