The leader of the strongest opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP), Ivica Racan, said the arrest was a huge step towards solving problems both for Croatia and Gotovina.
For Racan, it is significant that such important information as Gotovina's arrest had come from foreign sources.
The leader of the right-wing Croatian Party of Rights (HSP), Anto Djapic, said that this was "a difficult day for Croatia, for all Croatian war veterans and all who love and respect General Gotovina."
Djapic added that he believed that Gotovina would prove his innocence before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). He went on to say that it was horrible to receive the confirmation of the news on the general's arrest from Belgrade. During her visit to Belgrade on Thursday, ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte said that Gotovina had been nabbed in Spain on Wednesday night.
A member of the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS), Ljubica Lalic, too found it strange to receive the report from Belgrade.
She went on to say that along with Gotovina the entire Croatian people had been accused and that Croatia was now bound to ensure all the necessary logistics to defend the dignity of the general and the entire country.
The leader of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), Ivan Cehok, said he believed that Gotovina would prove his innocence before the ICTY.
Cehok added that it had been just a matter of time when the fugitive general would be arrested as no one could be in hiding for ever.
The HSLS chief expects that the international community's treatment of Croatia will change now, after Croatia has been a hostage of Carla del Ponte's claims about Gotovina hiding in Croatia for too long.
Istrian Democratic Party (IDS) vice president Damir Kajin said that after businessman Hrvoje Petrac, who is believed to have financed Gotovina's escape, was arrested a few months ago in Greece, he knew that Gotovina would be arrested as soon as it became suitable for the United States and Great Britain.
Kajin sees the fact that Del Ponte announced Gotovina's arrest while visiting Belgrade as her clear message to Serbian authorities that if they failed to arrest Bosnian Serb indictees wanted by the ICTY, this would be done by the Britons and Americans.
The leader of the Croatian People's Party (HNS), Vesna Pusic, said the Gotovina case was now nearing its solution, and that the entire problem should be looked at through the prism of events in 1998, when Gotovina was prevented from giving interviews to ICTY investigators.
A vice president of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS), Milorad Pupovac, said Gotovina's apprehension was important news for Croatia and the entire area of the former Yugoslavia.
This act paves the way for the completion of operations aimed at arresting other indictees wanted by the Hague tribunal, Pupovac said.
The ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) told reporters in the Sabor that Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, who is the HDZ chief, had presented the party's position on Gotovina's arrest in the parliament.