ZAGREB, Dec 12 (Hina) - Vlado Gotovac, a Croatian poet, philosopher, politician and honorary president of the Liberal Party (LS), was buried at Zagreb's Mirogoj cemetery on Tuesday in the presence of his family, state officials,
friends and numerous supporters and citizens.
ZAGREB, Dec 12 (Hina) - Vlado Gotovac, a Croatian poet,
philosopher, politician and honorary president of the Liberal
Party (LS), was buried at Zagreb's Mirogoj cemetery on Tuesday in
the presence of his family, state officials, friends and numerous
supporters and citizens. #L#
"Vlado was a poet, philosopher and politician but above all he was
my friend. He was a man who had always, in every moment and in all
changes we went through, known how important it was to cherish love,
freedom and dignity," Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said in his
farewell speech.
Reminding that the communist regime had thrown Gotovac in prison
and intellectual isolation, Mesic recalled that the "former
Croatian authorities called him traitor." "Neither caused him to
waver or change," said Mesic.
Vlado Gotovac refused to seek pardon and sign a pardon appeal while
serving his sentence in the Stara Gradiska correctional centre. The
prison warden offered him to write and sign an appeal which would
contain only one sentence. Gotovac refused it saying he was his
signature and could not go against his conviction, Mesic said.
Vlado Gotovac had so many wishes and ideas and too little time.
Prison sentences robbed him of time twice and now time has been
taken from him forever. Still, his work and legacy equals those of
several lives. He sent a strong message with his every act, text or
speech. Paradigmatic are his messages and they remain historical,
as was the message made in front of the JNA command in Zagreb, when
he told the gathered in a simple and gripping way, "I love you and I
am proud of you. And if I had to chose between dying with you or
living with scarecrow-generals, I would chose death!," Mesic
quoted Gotovac's words uttered in front of the Zagreb headquarters
of the then fifth military district in Zagreb.
Politics as the question of rights of an individual was the centre
of Gotovac's efforts; everything he did he did like a humanist and
gentleman. Nobody could ever make him give up his ideals and
promises, Mesic said.
Bidding him farewell, Mesic said: "Dear Vlado, farewell and thank
you, we are leaving you in the embrace of Croatian soil, to which you
belonged with true and unreserved love in every moment of your
life."
The funeral ceremony was conducted by Zagreb Archbishop Josip
Bozanic.
Gotovac died of a grave illness at the age of 71 at his Rome home last
Thursday.
(hina) rml