ZAGREB, Dec 30 (Hina) - President Stjepan Mesic released a New Year's message to all Croatian citizens on Tuesday, wishing them to be able in 2004 to feel in everyday life "everything we advocated and worked for" in the past
period.
ZAGREB, Dec 30 (Hina) - President Stjepan Mesic released a New Year's
message to all Croatian citizens on Tuesday, wishing them to be able
in 2004 to feel in everyday life "everything we advocated and worked
for" in the past period.#L#
Mesic said two events characterised 2003 -- parliamentary elections in
November, which he said showed Croatia was on the right path, and the
application for EU membership, filed in February.
"Citizens as well as politicians accept the change of government as
part of democratic processes in a society. Democracy is a process.
Democracy is a cyclical change of the state of things. But at the same
time democracy is stability because it is the awareness of change that
forces us politicians to be good in what we do, or face replacement.
In democracy politicians realise they can be replaced and that their
duty is to serve and not rule the constituents," read the message.
Mesic said he was convinced that all Croatian politicians, both in the
government and in the opposition and regardless of party membership,
shared the same strategic goals -- joining the EU and NATO.
"Croatia has applied for European Union membership, committing to
meeting the conditions set before it. I believe we all know those
conditions very well -- compliance with international commitments,
reform of the justice system, respect for human and minority rights.
Croatia simply cannot allow itself not to meet those conditions, and I
am deeply convinced the new Croatian government will continue down the
road of meeting commitments," read the message.
Mesic reiterated Croatia was not fulfilling those obligations only
because of Europe or the international community. "We are meeting
those conditions primarily because of ourselves."
"In times of transition, when all values are re-examined, when old
systems are no longer valid and new ones haven't been established yet,
citizens' lives are not easy. But the value system which stems from
honouring the conditions Europe has set before us is guarantee that
Croatian citizens too will live in a country where work is honoured,
where laws are applied equally to all, in a country in which we will
accept others and those who are different with understanding."
Mesic concluded the message by wishing that in 2004, citizens start
feeling in everyday life everything "we advocated and worked for in
the past period, that the positive statistical trends be felt in your
standard, that the highways we dreamed of for so long and have finally
opened bring prosperity to every part of Croatia, and that jobs,
hospitals, courts, kindergartens or schools be available to all".
(Hina) ha