ZAGREB, Nov 19 (Hina) - The presidents of the parties making Croatia's Opposition Six coalition on Friday signed the Forum 21 Charter, which morally binds them to turn Croatian Television (HTV) into a public medium. Forum 21 is an
association of independent electronic media journalists. "We made a commitment to do after the elections what the HDZ (the ruling Croatian Democratic Union party) fails to do now," said Opposition Six coordinator Ivica Racan after the signing of the Charter. "See you on public television," he said on behalf of the presidents of the Liberal Party, the Croatian People's Party, the Istrian Democratic Assembly, the Croatian Peasants' Party, and the Croatian Social Liberal party. The Forum 21 Charter was today also signed by the Serb People's Party. Forum 21 leaders said they had called on all 17 parliamentary parties, including the HDZ, to sign. In 17 articles, the
ZAGREB, Nov 19 (Hina) - The presidents of the parties making
Croatia's Opposition Six coalition on Friday signed the Forum 21
Charter, which morally binds them to turn Croatian Television (HTV)
into a public medium.
Forum 21 is an association of independent electronic media
journalists.
"We made a commitment to do after the elections what the HDZ (the
ruling Croatian Democratic Union party) fails to do now," said
Opposition Six coordinator Ivica Racan after the signing of the
Charter.
"See you on public television," he said on behalf of the presidents
of the Liberal Party, the Croatian People's Party, the Istrian
Democratic Assembly, the Croatian Peasants' Party, and the
Croatian Social Liberal party.
The Forum 21 Charter was today also signed by the Serb People's
Party. Forum 21 leaders said they had called on all 17 parliamentary
parties, including the HDZ, to sign.
In 17 articles, the Charter demands that public television reflect
the pluralism in Croatian society, and that state authority and
political parties refrain from direct intrusion into HTV's
editorial policy.
The blackboard-sized Charter, which will be hung at the Croatian
Journalists' Association (HND), was also signed by HND president
Dragutin Lucic and Forum 21 president Damir Matkovic, a HTV
reporter. Present at the signing was United States Ambassador to
Croatia William Montgomery.
Croatian Radio Television (HRT) board of directors spokesman
Kresimir Macan regretted that the board had not been officially
invited to take part in the drafting of the Charter, but said that
the board could agree with it in most part.
Macan said that as far as he knew, there had been pressure to dismiss
HTV reporters Tihomir Ladisic and Ivo Loncar, and take off the air
music artists Parni Valjak and Gibonni due to their participation
in opposition pre-electoral campaigns.
Macan asserted the HRT board of directors and head Ivica Vrkic
successfully opposed the pressure, but did not say the source of the
pressure.
(hina) ha mm