ZAGREB, June 9 (Hina) - Croatia's Prime Minister Zlatko Matesa on Wednesday described allegations in Miroslav Kutle's charges pressed against him and the Central Bank Governor Marko Skreb as completely groundless. This is a law-based
state, the State Attorney's Office will form its judgement of the matter, Matesa said during question time of the 41st session of the Croatian National Parliament's (Sabor) House of Representatives. The Republic of Croatia, Croatia's President and diplomacy have never talked about the division of Kosovo, stressed Foreign Minister Mate Granic. Croatia has firmly supported NATO's military operations in Yugoslavia (Serbia/Montenegro), peace efforts, and particularly a plan proposed by G-8, Granic added. Matesa said in response to a question of Ante Kovacevic of the Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU) about Kutle's charges that he fully supported Skreb's standp
ZAGREB, June 9 (Hina) - Croatia's Prime Minister Zlatko Matesa on
Wednesday described allegations in Miroslav Kutle's charges
pressed against him and the Central Bank Governor Marko Skreb as
completely groundless. This is a law-based state, the State
Attorney's Office will form its judgement of the matter, Matesa
said during question time of the 41st session of the Croatian
National Parliament's (Sabor) House of Representatives.
The Republic of Croatia, Croatia's President and diplomacy have
never talked about the division of Kosovo, stressed Foreign
Minister Mate Granic. Croatia has firmly supported NATO's military
operations in Yugoslavia (Serbia/Montenegro), peace efforts, and
particularly a plan proposed by G-8, Granic added.
Matesa said in response to a question of Ante Kovacevic of the
Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU) about Kutle's charges
that he fully supported Skreb's standpoint on the issue. The
Government is responsible before the Sabor and the President of
Croatia and they assess its work. The executive authority conducts
such economic policy as it may be neither to the detriment nor in
favour of anybody, although there are expressed interests of some
lobbies that the policy be directed to the advantage of some of
them, Matesa explained.
Several questions of MPs referred to the security situation.
Interior Minister Ivan Penic said there had been some incidents but
everything remained within a stable, normal situation. He promised
to ensure such peace and public order in the run-up to the election
as befits a democratic country.
Asked by Marin Jurjevic of the Social and Democratic Party (SDP)
about the search of offices of the weekly "Nacional", flats of
reporters and former ministers, Penic answered that it would be
established whether it had been reasonable to comb those flats and
facilities.
Djurdja Adlesic of the Croatian Social and Liberal Party (HSLS)
wondered whether surveillance had been conducted in the cases of
the Dubrovacka Bank, Tisak and Diona companies.
Penic responded that a series of charges had been pressed in the
case of Dubrovacka Bank. In respect to banks, the Interior Minister
maintained that controls should be first carried out by the Central
Bank, then by the finance police and only after that by criminal
police. When criminal police enter a bank, it is a signal to
depositors to take away their money, Penic explained.
Srecko Bijelic of the Croatian People's Party (HNS) asked about
causes of such a situation in which people are being attacked in
streets, houses and public sites. Matesa believed it is so as there
is no elementary political tolerance.
"Look at those newspapers, statements, the way of communications
and it will be clear that all of this is being reflected into the
everyday life. It is less a problem of the Government than of all of
us," Matesa added.
Vlado Jukic of the Croatian Part of Rights (HSP) asked about a list
of persons who had been granted "in a privileged way" Croatia's
citizenship. Penic told him that he could go to the Interior
Ministry and check that list with about 5,000 names.
Justice Minister Zvonimir Separovic said Vinko Sindicic had been
extradited to Croatia on the strong suspicion of having killed a
famous Croatian emigrant, Bruno Busic. The State Attorney's Office
could prosecute him only for this act and not any other, under
international law.
The Government is not always satisfied with the work and reports of
the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) and
has given its opinion on the matter several times. But we are trying
to solve these problems by dialogue and doing our best that the
mandate of the OSCE finish (in Croatia) as soon as possible, Granic
said in response to a HSP member Ante Djapic's question about
protests of Croatian returnees in the eastern village of Berak and
his claim that returnees had recognised some war criminals who were
then protected by the OSCE.
Asked by Djapic what the Government was intending to do against two
Deputy Prefects of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County who labelled HOS
members during a recent parade in Rijeka as Fascists, Matesa
replied that they were first responsible before the county assembly
and indirectly before the Government.
(hina) ms