ZAGREB, Dec 14 (Hina) - "I have to say that I have been hurt, not only as the prime minister, but also as a citizen of this country, by the fact that part of the foreign media has been unable to understand, even at this moment, the
essence of the relationship between the Croatian people and President Tudjman," Croatian Premier Zlatko Matesa told reporters on Tuesday. Matesa was speaking to the press after the final session of a committee which was in charge of the burial of late Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, who passed away on Friday and was buried yesterday. Some foreign media in their commentaries stated that President Tudjman was a dictator and an autocrat, the premier said, but pointed out the best refutation of such commentaries were the hundreds of thousands of people who paid their last respects to the late president. Matesa said that was the fundamental misunderstanding bet
ZAGREB, Dec 14 (Hina) - "I have to say that I have been hurt, not only
as the prime minister, but also as a citizen of this country, by the
fact that part of the foreign media has been unable to understand,
even at this moment, the essence of the relationship between the
Croatian people and President Tudjman," Croatian Premier Zlatko
Matesa told reporters on Tuesday.
Matesa was speaking to the press after the final session of a
committee which was in charge of the burial of late Croatian
President Franjo Tudjman, who passed away on Friday and was buried
yesterday.
Some foreign media in their commentaries stated that President
Tudjman was a dictator and an autocrat, the premier said, but
pointed out the best refutation of such commentaries were the
hundreds of thousands of people who paid their last respects to the
late president.
Matesa said that was the fundamental misunderstanding between
Croatia's policy and part of the international community. Tudjman
was a president who had been elected by the majority of the Croatian
people, he reminded.
The premier said it was a pity and sad that even at the time of
President Tudjman's death, part of the international community was
unable to suppress their feelings.
They were however entirely refuted by the Croatian people who paid
their last respects to President Tudjman, Matesa said, pointing out
that was his personal opinion which he said he would not change
regardless of how damaging it might be for him as the prime
minister.
The press asked why only Croatian Television had been notified
about the president's death, while the other media, including Hina,
had not. Matesa said it had not been his task to notify the media,
Hina included. "Why you were not notified and if you were not
notified, I don't know," he said.
Asked if he approved of making the news of the death of the head of
state the monopoly of only one media, Matesa said it was not a matter
of information monopoly.
"I grant that everybody who at that moment was occupied with
something was under such stress that an omission could occur. It
certainly cannot be interpreted as deliberate," the premier said.
(hina) ha mm