PRAGUE, Nov 5 (Hina) - Croatia's response to the EU Speaking Note, is based on solutions contained in a recently adopted election law, said Croatia's Premier Zlatko Matesa in Prague. Croatia on Friday forwarded its comments to the
European Union (EU) on its Speaking Note recently handed over to Croatian authorities, as the Union was dissatisfied with the Croatian draft election bill and insufficient assistance which Croatia offered to the Hague Tribunal. "The response includes only facts." We have started from the election law passed by the Croatian National Sabor and answered to EU concerns on this matter, Matesa told Croatian reporters in Prague where he is attending a two-day summit of the Central European Initiative (EU). Commenting on certain questions raised by the EU in its speaking note, Matesa said that during his talks with Wolfgang Petritsch, the international commun
PRAGUE, Nov 5 (Hina) - Croatia's response to the EU Speaking Note,
is based on solutions contained in a recently adopted election law,
said Croatia's Premier Zlatko Matesa in Prague.
Croatia on Friday forwarded its comments to the European Union (EU)
on its Speaking Note recently handed over to Croatian authorities,
as the Union was dissatisfied with the Croatian draft election bill
and insufficient assistance which Croatia offered to the Hague
Tribunal.
"The response includes only facts." We have started from the
election law passed by the Croatian National Sabor and answered to
EU concerns on this matter, Matesa told Croatian reporters in
Prague where he is attending a two-day summit of the Central
European Initiative (EU).
Commenting on certain questions raised by the EU in its speaking
note, Matesa said that during his talks with Wolfgang Petritsch,
the international community's High Representative to Bosnia-
Herzegovina, he had stressed that Serbs who are Croatian citizens
have the right to vote regardless of where they are now staying.
"It is not at all disputable," Croatia's PM stressed.
Concerning the voting of the Croatian Diaspora, Matesa said his
country had accepted the international community's suggestion that
unfixed quota rather than fixed one be adopted for this purpose.
The remaining question is the technique of the voting, he added.
Matesa said the Croatian Diaspora did not exist only in Bosnia-
Herzegovina, but there are Croats in other countries as well.
In view of the Bosnia Croats' voting, the Premier said Croatia had
already four times organised elections for its subjects in Bosnia.
Usually there were about 80 polling stations.
"It is the question of reciprocity," he added.
Matesa told reporters that Croatia is asking that its citizens in
Bosnia be able to cast ballots at 13 polling stations at the coming
election. One of the polling stations should be in Banja Luka (a
major city in Bosnian Serb entity), in order that Serbs who are
Croatian citizens can vote as well.
Regarding the monitoring of the election, Matesa said the Croatian
Sabor had incorporated in the election law solutions under which
election commissions consist of members form several parties
(multi-party commissions). In addition, non-governmental and
international organisations can take part in observing the
election, and Croatia has also called governments and parliaments
of other countries to forward their representatives at the coming
parliamentary election.
Commenting on EU objections that Croatia failed to cooperate with
the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague, Matesa cited
the example of Mladen Naletilic Tuta.
When doctors of the Hague Tribunal came, it was proved that Croatia
was sincere when it asserted that the man was ill and called on them
to check his health condition. "He (Naletilic) is ill and cannot be
transferred to The Hague," Matesa said.
The Hague Tribunal's chief prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, on Thursday
announced in Zagreb that the next week she would report to the UN
Security Council that Croatia did not cooperate sufficiently in
investigations in the 1995 "Storm" and "Flash" operations.
On the other hand, U.S. commissioner for war crimes, David Scheffer
on Thursday told the Voice of America on Thursday that the United
States was satisfied with steps taken by the Croatian government
and judiciary while co-operating with the Hague court concerning
Naletilic's deferral.
According to Scheffer, the necessity to launch the aforementioned
operations was, for his country, beyond doubt, but the question
which should be considered is whether any war crimes were committed
during them, and it is in Croatia's interest to give answers to this
question as soon as possible.
Asked to comment on differences in stands between the United States
and the Hague Tribunal, Croatian Foreign Minister said Croatia was
acting as a law-based state in the process of extradition of Mladen
Naletilic, explaining that "judicial conditions have been
fulfilled," but health state prevented his transfer.
Regarding the Hague Tribunal's jurisdiction over the "Storm" and
"Flash" operations, the Foreign Minister reiterated that his
country and the Court had different views on this matter.
"We want to solve this issue in legal terms rather than politically.
Carla del Ponte wants a political solution in the UN Security
Council, and so we shall defend our interests both before the
Security Council and the Hague Tribunal" Granic told reporters.
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