PRESIDENT'S OFFICE COMMENTS ON CRITICISM ON PRESIDENT'S SPEECH

ZAGREB, Oct 1 (Hina) - The Croatian President's Office on Friday issued a statement commenting on recent reactions to President Franjo Tudjman's address to Interior Ministry employees on the occasion of Police Day, 29 September. The President's Office said the criticism was based on stataments which were taken out of context and were incorrect.#L# The statement said an unfair, incorrect, and ill-intentioned interpretation of the President's words was being used in this and other instances in an attempt to impose, as one critic said, the feeling that "Croatian citizens could start being afraid of the introduction of a police state." On the contrary, the statement, said, President Tudjman clearly said that ahead of the "Interior Ministry (...) is the special task of ensuring the safety of citizens, order, and the respecting of the regularities and the interests of state independence, which is the fundamental task of the police in every society and in every country." Commenting on Interior Minister Ivan Penic's statement that "in the coming period, the Interior Ministry is prepared to deal with all challenges in the maintenance of public peace and order, in spite of announcements of an unscrupulous electoral campaign, to the satisfaction of all citizens," President Tudjman said that "elections are not important so much because of authority, because authority will be one or another, but for Croatia's future and independence." The statement from President Tudjman's Office concludes by saying the critics themselves stated they had not quoted the President's original address, but only parts of sentences which they considered problematic, and wonders as to who and to what purpose needs such completely incorrect and ill-intentioned interpretations of the President's address. (hina) ha jn