PM RACAN: NO CONDITION CAN BE IMPOSED ON GOVERNMENT IN NORAC CASE

ZAGREB, Feb 13 (Hina) - Premier Ivica Racan on Tuesday said it was "impertinent" to ask from Croatia's authorities to say where General Mirko Norac was and reiterated that no conditions could be imposed on the government in relation to the Norac case.#L# Upon returning from a two-day visit to Poland, the Croatian PM answered reporters' questions about the developments in the Norac case. Asked to comment on an interview which General Norac gave to Slobodna Dalmacija daily, allegedly during Sunday's rally in the southern coastal city of Split and which the daily editor-in-chief Josip Jovic announced for Wednesday, Racan replied that "if Mr. Jovic is telling the truth, then this only proves how rude it was to ask the government for Norac's whereabouts. This proves that I was right when in parliament I said to some members of the HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) that instead of imputing and fishing in troubled waters by asking us (...) where Norac was, (they) could answer the question by themselves." As regards conditions Norac made in an alleged letter (announced in the interview), Racan said the authorities were open to dialogue but that "conditions cannot be imposed on a democratically elected government." They cannot be forwarded to the wrong address, as was the case, Racan said, adding that "no conditions can be imposed on the government as to the conduct of courts." "The gentlemen have got their addresses mixed up," he said. According to "Nacional" weekly, the four conditions which Norac has allegedly forwarded the Government include that he be released on bail, guarantees that he will not be transferred to the ICTY (UN war crimes tribunal) in The Hague, the re-examination of witnesses who incriminated him, and the release of detained Milan Canic, to whom an investigation into the Gospic Group has been widened alongside Norac. (hina) ms