SEKS- GOVT SHOULD SEEK EXTRADITION OF CETNIK WAR LEADER FROM USA

( Editorial: --> 7491 ) ZAGREB, April 17 (Hina) - President of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) Bench and member of the HDZ Presidency, Vladimir Seks, at Friday's press conference advocated the commencement of an initiative for the Croatian Government and the State Attorney to seek extradition of the Serb war leader, clergyman Momcilo Djujic, from the USA, to try him for crimes committed against Croats, as well as Serbs on the territory of Knin and Dalmatia during World War II. Croatia gives full support to the Croatian Government and the State Attorney to start a court action as soon as possible and request extradition of the Jasenovac camp commander, Dinko Sakic, to be tried on suspicion of committing war crimes, said Seks. This way the mystification surrounding the number of victims of the Jasenovac camp would finally be cleared. Suggested numbers have ranged from 700,000 to one million killed even though our estimates say 60,000 to 70,000, he said. Apart from that Croatia is a signatory to international conventions on sentencing of war criminals - which do not expire - and is obliged to bring these acts to justice and sentence war criminals, said Seks. Talking about the banking situation, Seks announced a HDZ initiative to thoroughly debate the situation in Croatian banking, especially the cases of the Vukovar, Dubrovnik and Istra banks. He said that relevant judicial bodies have to do all and make those responsible who violate the laws, regardless of their positions in the state or party hierarchy. "We don't want to cover anything or anyone," said Seks. HDZ spokesman Drago Krpina, talking about the parliamentary debate on Croatia's international position and pressures on it, said that he argued the HDZ viewpoint that pressures are unnecessary, unjustified and unobjective. "The question is to what degree are those pressures motivated by altruism of the international community and concern for democracy, or are they in the interests of certain international factors which are a often contrary to the interests of Croatia," Krpina asked himself and answered that it is most likely the latter. HDZ Chief-Secretary Ivan Valent expressed concern over the increasing number of killings in the recent period, which culminated in the tragic, seven-fold killing in Slavonski Brod. He said HDZ supports the new and decisive measures for crime prevention, and especially praises the extension of the deadline for return of unlicensed weapons, and suggestions harsh penalties for those who continue to hold arms without approval. (hina) mrb/lm 171438 MET apr 98