ZAGREB, Nov 26 (Hina) - All world news agencies on Friday released the news about a decision of Croatia's Constitutional Court to declare Croatian President Franjo Tudjman temporarily unfit to perform his duties and a decision to
transfer his powers temporarily to Vlatko Pavletic, the National Sabor's president. Some of the agencies also described this move as the beginning of post-Tudjman's era in Croatia. France Presse said the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) which in recent days claimed, at least in public, that it still believes in the recovery of President Tudjman, finally accepted an opinion of doctors who no longer conceal how grave Tudjman's health condition is. Croatia entered the post-Tudjman period when its authorities finally admitted that the Father of Croatia's independence, who has been at hospital for three weeks and is probably fighting for his life, is incapacit
ZAGREB, Nov 26 (Hina) - All world news agencies on Friday released
the news about a decision of Croatia's Constitutional Court to
declare Croatian President Franjo Tudjman temporarily unfit to
perform his duties and a decision to transfer his powers
temporarily to Vlatko Pavletic, the National Sabor's president.
Some of the agencies also described this move as the beginning of
post-Tudjman's era in Croatia.
France Presse said the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) which
in recent days claimed, at least in public, that it still believes
in the recovery of President Tudjman, finally accepted an opinion
of doctors who no longer conceal how grave Tudjman's health
condition is.
Croatia entered the post-Tudjman period when its authorities
finally admitted that the Father of Croatia's independence, who has
been at hospital for three weeks and is probably fighting for his
life, is incapacitated and cannot now perform his duties, France
Presse said.
This agency added that Tudjman's illness was paralysing politcal
processes in a country with the presidential system marked by the
President's authoritarianism. It is Pavletic's job to restart
them, France Presse said.
According to the Associated Press (AP), granting all powers to
Pavletic temporarily is an attempt to fill the political void
caused by Tudjman's absence and his failure to make political
decisions.
The first and most important move expected from the acting
President is to call parliamentary elections.
This news agency wrote that many in Croatia believe that the next
elections could spell the end of the near-monopoly of power by the
HDZ party.
The AP maintained that the ruling party's leaders may want to have
the elections as soon as possible, hoping many Croats would still
vote for them because of Tudjman's presence.
France Presse added that to call the election during the Christmas
holidays would fit the HDZ which wants votes from the Diaspora,
traditionally loyal to this party, as many expatriates come to the
homeland at that time to visit relatives.
Regarding the opposition that has toned down its accusations
against Croatian authorities because of President Tudjman's
illness, it is still pursuing a wait-and-see policy, France Presse
added.
Concerning Tudjman's illness, that agency said the 77-year-old
President has been fighting the cancer of the digestive system for a
few years.
The Associated Press said Tudjman has long been rumoured to be
suffering from cancer, adding that his senior aides this week
conceded that the President is fighting for his life.
(hina) mm ms