ZAGREB, Dec 11 (Hina) - Croatia's Government on Saturday proclaimed December 11, 12, and 13 days of national mourning after the death of Croatian President Franjo Tudjman who passed away on December 10. According to the Government's
decision, December 13, when President Tudjman's funeral is to be held, will be a day of rest. Croatian governments members observed a minute of silence in memory of the deceased President Franjo Tudjman. Premier Zlatko Matesa related events from the life and work of President Tudjman and his last appearance in the public at the site of the Altar of Homeland on Medvedgrad (Mount Medvednica overlooking Zagreb) on All Saints' Day (November 1). Matesa quoted Tudjman's statement which he wrote in the Memorial Book on that occasion. In that statement we can recognise the leading idea that marked the entire life of our President and it is the idea of Croatia's freedo
ZAGREB, Dec 11 (Hina) - Croatia's Government on Saturday proclaimed
December 11, 12, and 13 days of national mourning after the death of
Croatian President Franjo Tudjman who passed away on December 10.
According to the Government's decision, December 13, when
President Tudjman's funeral is to be held, will be a day of rest.
Croatian governments members observed a minute of silence in memory
of the deceased President Franjo Tudjman.
Premier Zlatko Matesa related events from the life and work of
President Tudjman and his last appearance in the public at the site
of the Altar of Homeland on Medvedgrad (Mount Medvednica
overlooking Zagreb) on All Saints' Day (November 1). Matesa quoted
Tudjman's statement which he wrote in the Memorial Book on that
occasion.
In that statement we can recognise the leading idea that marked the
entire life of our President and it is the idea of Croatia's
freedom, Premier said.
Those who struggle for justice and suffer for it, live to see the
accomplishment of their aims. Our President experienced the
accomplishment of his aim after the hard struggle, and thanks to the
assistance of all Croatian classes, the Croatian Diaspora, he lived
to see the times when the Croatian State was created, Matesa added.
Recalling the struggle for the defence and establishment of
Croatian authorities after centuries, Matesa said that when one of
basic principles is added to this - the principle of all-Croatian
reconciliation about which the President used to speak often - we
can realise the importance of President Tudjman as a historian, a
fighter for the Croatian freedom, a statesman, as a man who united
in himself all those greatest values of a humanist and who will
remain in our hearts, in the heart of the Croatian people as the
first and most important President of the Croatian State.
Under the Government's decision, during the period of national
mourning no cultural, sports and entertaining events can be
organised.
Croatia's flags are to fly at half-mast in all buildings and all
premises that house bodies of the state authorities or local, town
and municipal authorities. The period of mourning will be marked in
other ways which will be determined by the Croatian National
Parliament's President who is the acting President of Croatia.
(hina) ms