CROATIA IS NOMINALLY DEMOCRATIC, IN REALITY AUTHORITARIAN - USA

ZAGREB, Feb 26 (Hina) - The Croatian Government continues to receive weak estimates regarding human rights because although visible progress has been achieved in certain areas, serious problems continue in others, the UN State Department said in its report on human rights in Croatia for the past year, issued on Friday. "The extensive constitutional powers of the presidency, the overwhelming dominance of the HDZ (ruling Croatian Democratic Union), its absolute control of television, the continuing concentration of power within the one-party central Government, and government influence that circumscribes and weakens the judiciary combine to make the country's nominally democratic system in reality authoritarian," the report stressed. "Both the law and the ruling party's continued domination of Parliament seriously limit the right of citizens to change their government". The report stressed the Croatian Government had used law manipulation, abuse, economic pressures and its almost absolute control over electronic media to control the political process. "The HDZ holds a majority in both houses (of Parliament) and HDZ President Franjo Tudjman was reelected President in June 1997 in an election judged to be 'fundamentally flawed' and 'free but not fair' by the OSCE", the report said. According to the State Department, Croatian authorities have made no progress in solving problems as requested by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Progress has not been achieved in implementing OSCE's recommendations regarding the elections particularly concerning the voting of the Croatian Diaspora, enabling neutral observers to monitor the elections and control over electronic media. "Government influence seriously weakens the nominally independent judiciary," the report states. The State Department claims Croatian authorities control or influence most of the printed and electronic media in Croatia. "The Government restricted press freedom, using the courts and administrative bodies selectively to shut down or restrain newspapers, radio, and television stations critical of the Government or simply outside of its control," the report reads. The Government and businessmen with close ties to the HDZ enjoy a virtual monopoly on printing and distributing newspapers and magazines, the report said. Some 900 prosecutions of journalists are ongoing, most brought by government officials or their close relatives or associates, the report stressed. The State Department also criticised Croatian authorities of refusing to cooperate with the International Criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) regarding alleged crimes committed during Croatian military and police operations "Storm" and "Flash" in 1995, by stating the Tribunal had no jurisdiction over cases connected with the two operations. "Cases of abuse from the 1995 military actions, including the alleged murders of hundreds of civilians by government forces, remain largely unsolved". The process of return of Croatian Serbs was described as positive in the report. The return was instigated by the Croatian Government prior to and following its resuming control over the Croatian Danube River region. The report states, however, that after the Danube region had been returned to Croatian authorities, about 20,000 Serbs had left the area during 1998. The country's transition to market economy is proceeding slowly, the State department assessed. "While agriculture is mostly in private hands and family-owned small enterprises and multiplying, industry and media enterprises are largely either still controlled by the state or were deliberately transferred in non-transparent, non-competitive processes to individuals sympathetic to the ruling party," the report said. (hina) lml