ZAGREB, Dec 18 (Hina) - The ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) +secretary-general Drago Krpina on Friday dismissed claims from a +report by the International Crisis Group (ICG) that the HDZ was a +party demonstrating rightist and
xenophobic views.+ The ICG report is part of an "orchestrated campaign against the +HDZ", Krpina said, adding the report contained "completely +inappropriate and unfounded remarks".+ "The HDZ remains the central populist party and it will take no +turns, either to the left or to the right. Xenophobia was never nor +will it ever be part of the tradition of the Croat people", Krpina +told today's press conference.+ The HDZ has on several occasions condemned events in Croatia during +World War II, he noted. "If we have the strength to accept Jovan +Opacic, one of the main instigators of the Serb rebellion, than that +is the best denial of the accusations of xenophobia", h
ZAGREB, Dec 18 (Hina) - The ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ)
secretary-general Drago Krpina on Friday dismissed claims from a
report by the International Crisis Group (ICG) that the HDZ was a
party demonstrating rightist and xenophobic views.
The ICG report is part of an "orchestrated campaign against the
HDZ", Krpina said, adding the report contained "completely
inappropriate and unfounded remarks".
"The HDZ remains the central populist party and it will take no
turns, either to the left or to the right. Xenophobia was never nor
will it ever be part of the tradition of the Croat people", Krpina
told today's press conference.
The HDZ has on several occasions condemned events in Croatia during
World War II, he noted. "If we have the strength to accept Jovan
Opacic, one of the main instigators of the Serb rebellion, than that
is the best denial of the accusations of xenophobia", he added.
The HDZ welcomes the statement by Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS)
president Zlatko Tomicic saying that his party would run in the
elections independently, said HDZ spokesman Ivica Ropus.
Ropus estimated that other Opposition parties would do the same
because it was the best way to check their individual influence.
The HDZ officials announced that their party would initiate a
parliamentary debate on Croatia's cooperation with The Hague
Tribunal, adding that the debate would be based on the Government's
report. Krpina said the party was prompted to this by the failure of
The Hague Tribunal to recognise the fact that there was the
aggressor and the victim in the war in the region.
Krpina resented the fact that war criminals from Vukovar, as well as
Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic were still at large, while orders
were being issued for gathering evidence against Croatian
soldiers.
Spokesman Ropus reiterated claims from a report by Croatian
President Franjo Tudjman's spokesman Tihomir Vinkovic concerning
Tudjman's speech at the December 14 opening of a veterans' military
academy in Zagreb.
President Tudjman did not speak about NATO nor did he make any
threats. The HDZ is surprised with the fact that SFOR was ready to
use force in order to solve the problem of a section of the Croatian-
Bosnian border, which is yet to be defined by mixed commissions,
Ropus said.
(hina) rml