ZAGREB, Feb 4 (Hina) - MPs of six Croatian opposition parties, known as the "Opposition Six", on Thursday supported the Government's report on Croatia's cooperation with the International Criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
(ICTY). They dismissed a suggestion by the Croatian Party of rights (HSP) that the cooperation should be stopped. Endorsing the view that Croatia should continue cooperating with the ICTY, the MPs said the tribunal's work has to be criticised, though. The Croatian Social Liberal Party suggested the Parliament should request that people who have not yet been indicted be released from detention, and that trials should be sped up. Compensation for the acquitted should be provided, they said. The Social Democratic Party suggested that the Parliament demand the Tribunal to apply measures against countries which are not cooperating. Relations with the Tribunal should not be
ZAGREB, Feb 4 (Hina) - MPs of six Croatian opposition parties, known
as the "Opposition Six", on Thursday supported the Government's
report on Croatia's cooperation with the International Criminal
tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
They dismissed a suggestion by the Croatian Party of rights (HSP)
that the cooperation should be stopped.
Endorsing the view that Croatia should continue cooperating with
the ICTY, the MPs said the tribunal's work has to be criticised,
though.
The Croatian Social Liberal Party suggested the Parliament should
request that people who have not yet been indicted be released from
detention, and that trials should be sped up. Compensation for the
acquitted should be provided, they said.
The Social Democratic Party suggested that the Parliament demand
the Tribunal to apply measures against countries which are not
cooperating.
Relations with the Tribunal should not be burdened with the fact
that Croats are being tried, but that Yugoslav President Slobodan
Milosevic was not on trial, as he is responsible for crimes in
Skabrnja, Vukovar, Nadin, and other Croatian towns, they said.
The Liberal Party held the Government should do everything to
ensure fair trials for Croats in the Hague.
Some opposition MPs also said they felt the discussion on Croatia's
relations with the ICTY was a part of the ruling Croatian Democratic
Union's electoral campaign.
The MPs of the Croatian Party of Rights were the only ones to support
their own suggestion, assessing that Croatia's cooperation with
the ICTY, as it has been so far, was unacceptable.
The parliament bench of national minority representatives said
Croatia should continue to cooperate with the Tribunal. They
assessed the Government report had not sufficiently warned of the
crimes and destruction of towns in western Slavonia during the
aggression on Croatia.
The House of Representatives will continue Thursday's discussion
on the issue on Friday.
(hina) lml jn