ZAGREB, Feb 10 (Hina) - President Stipe Mesic said on Saturday the protests and road blocks over an arrest warrant issued earlier this week for retired general Mirko Norac, a recent war crimes suspect, represented a form of organised
destruction. "What is happening is organised destruction, a premeditated scenario and only naive people could think this was happening spontaneously," he told a news conference.
ZAGREB, Feb 10 (Hina) - President Stipe Mesic said on Saturday the
protests and road blocks over an arrest warrant issued earlier this
week for retired general Mirko Norac, a recent war crimes suspect,
represented a form of organised destruction.
"What is happening is organised destruction, a premeditated
scenario and only naive people could think this was happening
spontaneously," he told a news conference.#L#
According to Mesic, "this is the well-known 'the worse the better'
scenario which should ruin Croatia's tourist season and isolate
Croatia from the world." He is confident the champions of this
scenario will end "by discrediting themselves because this society
is too mature for a revolution to take place."
Commenting on the peaceful protests and road blocks over the Norac
case, the President said: "We have already seen road blocks in
Slavonia, Lika, Kordun, and elsewhere, but problems cannot be
resolved by force." "It would be exaggerated to speak of an
attempted coup d'etat," he added.
"One section of the protesters is using the general Norac case for
their own interests, whereas the other is uninformed and genuinely
thinks they are protecting Norac," said Mesic. "Norac undoubtedly
deserves credit for the defence of Croatia, but those who fought at
his side mention him in one criminal proceeding," he added.
"There is founded suspicion that he committed a crime and he must
answer to court questions," said the President and urged Norac,
whose whereabouts are unknown, to turn himself in to the court and
answer the questions asked of him.
"Croatia is a law-based state whose authority is divided into the
legislative, executive, and judicial. Not one of these authorities
can interfere with the competence of the others," Mesic said,
adding the protesters were choosing against the judiciary and
division of authority.
The President also commented on recent accusations against State
Prosecutor Radovan Ortinsky, saying that "people should be
evaluated by what they do and not by what is said about them."
(hina) ha sb