ZAGREB, Sept 3 (Hina) - Free and independent media are an unavoidable part of modern democratic society and control over them is in the long run bad for all sides, United State Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke said
in Zagreb on Friday. Holbrooke spoke to the press after a meeting with representatives of Croatia's Opposition Six group: Vladimir Gotovac of the Liberal Party, Drazen Budisa of the Croatian Social Liberal Party, Ivica Racan of the Social Democratic Party, Zlatko Tomcic of the Croatian Peasants' Party, and Radimir Cacic of the Croatian People's Party; Ivan Jakovcic of the Istrian Democratic Assembly was not present. Besides freedom of the media, the talks also focused on the right of refugees to return to their pre-war homes, and the need that Croatia fully cooperate with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague.
ZAGREB, Sept 3 (Hina) - Free and independent media are an
unavoidable part of modern democratic society and control over them
is in the long run bad for all sides, United State Ambassador to the
United Nations Richard Holbrooke said in Zagreb on Friday.
Holbrooke spoke to the press after a meeting with representatives
of Croatia's Opposition Six group: Vladimir Gotovac of the Liberal
Party, Drazen Budisa of the Croatian Social Liberal Party, Ivica
Racan of the Social Democratic Party, Zlatko Tomcic of the Croatian
Peasants' Party, and Radimir Cacic of the Croatian People's Party;
Ivan Jakovcic of the Istrian Democratic Assembly was not present.
Besides freedom of the media, the talks also focused on the right of
refugees to return to their pre-war homes, and the need that Croatia
fully cooperate with the International Criminal Tribunal for the
Former Yugoslavia in The Hague.
Holbrooke said he discussed the same subjects earlier today with
Croatian President Franjo Tudjman.
Opposition Six coordinator Gotovac assessed the talks with
Holbrooke as very valuable. He said the fact that Holbrooke
discussed the same issues with both the Opposition Six and
President Tudjman "shows how important they are" at this moment.
"We regard Ambassador Holbrooke's support to the freedom of the
media as especially important, because it is known this issue was
the reason why negotiations (with the ruling Croatian Democratic
Union) on electoral legislation were interrupted," Gotovac said,
adding he was sure this was in truth a strong endorsement of the
position of the Opposition Six.
Asked whether he encountered different points of view on the same
issues during today's talks with the opposition and President
Tudjman, the U.S. ambassador said differences are necessary.
Holbrooke said people in democratic societies differ in their
opinions, pointing out that the essence of politics lies in
differences. Free and independent media are however necessary so
that voters may hear all information and then be able to decide, he
said.
(hina) ha jn