ZAGREB, Feb 15 (Hina) - Representatives of two opposition parties rejected at Thursday's lower house session a set of conclusions the ruling coalition drafted over recent protests against the issuing of an arrest warrant for war
crimes suspect Mirko Norac. MPs of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the Croatian Party of Rights said the conclusions contain a "threat" to the alleged advocates of a "coup." They deem it unacceptable that the conclusions should bind the government and competent state institutions to prevent activities which could endanger the constitutional order and performance of the judicial authority. The HDZ bench accepts the conclusions adopted by the upper house yesterday and a motion to pass a law which would "permanently regulate issues in connection with the criminal prosecution of war veterans which are upsetting the soldiers who defended and liberated Croatia." Mato Arlovic said
ZAGREB, Feb 15 (Hina) - Representatives of two opposition parties
rejected at Thursday's lower house session a set of conclusions the
ruling coalition drafted over recent protests against the issuing
of an arrest warrant for war crimes suspect Mirko Norac.
MPs of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the Croatian Party of
Rights said the conclusions contain a "threat" to the alleged
advocates of a "coup." They deem it unacceptable that the
conclusions should bind the government and competent state
institutions to prevent activities which could endanger the
constitutional order and performance of the judicial authority.
The HDZ bench accepts the conclusions adopted by the upper house
yesterday and a motion to pass a law which would "permanently
regulate issues in connection with the criminal prosecution of war
veterans which are upsetting the soldiers who defended and
liberated Croatia."
Mato Arlovic said on behalf of the ruling coalition that the
conclusions on Norac, a suspect in war crimes committed against
civilians in 1991, had been moved to fortify a declaration on the
Homeland Defence War, Croatia's early 1990s war of independence
from the Yugoslav federation, which parliament adopted last
autumn, and to further fortify the rule-of-law.
The conclusions are not aimed at exempting anybody from possible
liability for war crimes committed during the Homeland Defence War,
said Arlovic. He added the ruling coalition was surprised at HDZ's
rejection as the conclusions speak only of individual and not
collective accountability.
By doing so, HDZ is revising the Homeland Defence War declaration it
helped in adopting.
(hina) ha sb