🚀 go-pugleaf

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     CROATIAN OPPOSITION WITHOUT A COMMON PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

Split,  Zagreb, June 27, 1996 (Press TWRA) - In an interview to "Feral
Tribune",  President  of Croatian social-liberal party  (HSLS),  Vlado
Gotovac explained a recent effort of his party to negotiate with  HDZ,
saying:  "  I  expected political reactions but not  a  real  national
anger,  full  of revolt and opposed to any possibility of  negotiation
with  the  leading party. (...) I did believe there  would  be  enough
patience and I would be given a chance to explain my objectives, but I
was  disabled to do so, for everyone shouted: "Shout up! We  all  know
what have you wanted!" I have lived for 65 years as an honest man, but
now  I am criticized that a ministerial position means more to me than
all  the  years  I  had spent in prison. As a politician,  I  must  be
prepared  for  political strikes but such an offense is  more  serious
than  a  possible political death." Gotovac denied alleged information
that HSLS-HDZ negotiations were incited from abroad, which was usually
repeated in connection with his recent visit to Germany, where he  was
invited  by  parliamentarian club of the FDP liberal  party.  On  this
occasion,  Gotovac met with vice-chancellor Kinkel  and  other  German
liberals  -  Kinkel's  predecessor, Genscher, FDP  President  Wolfgang
Gerhardt  as  well  as  with  demo-Christian  (CSU)  Hartmut  Koschyk,
responsible for the relations with Croatia (within Bundestag) and  one
of  the  leading  social-democrats (SDP),  Guenter  Verheugen.  It  is
generally  estimated  HSLS-HDZ negotiations  have  diminished  Gotovac
chances  as  a  candidate of the joint-opposition on '97  presidential
elections, as Tudjman opponent. "Feral Tribune" informs that  possible
presidential  candidates  are, besides  Tomcic  and  Gotovac,  social-
democrats  Tomac  and Racan, as well as President  of  HAZU  (Croatian
Academy  of  Arts and Sciences), Ivan Supek. Among those who  remained
within  HSLS,  but "froze" their activity, thinking this party  should
cooperate more with HDZ, is Goran Dodig, former assistant of  Croatian
Minister  of  defense  and  Ambassador to Croatian  Foreign  Ministry,
actually Head of the Governmental Office for national minorities, said
for  "Slobodna  Dalmacija" that certain persons in  HSLS  are  lacking
Croatian  national  feeling,  which he tried  to  prove  by  following
example:  "When  I  was  asked to explain  my  absence  on  the  party
assembly, I answered that at that time I was in Prozor, where Croatian
interests  were  really  defended  but  I  was  contradicted  by  some
members."  Prozor is a town situated between Herzegovina  and  Central
Bosnia  which was the first victim of Croatian aggression upon  BH  in
autumn  1992 during which all Bosniaks (38% of  Prozor citizens)  were
expelled.
President   of  IDS  (Istrian  democratic  assembly),  Ivan  Jakovcic,
informed  on  the  press-conference held in the  Croatian  Parliament,
about  IDS decision to propose to members of the parliamentarian union
"New Parliament 95" (composed of 6 parties: HSS, HNS, SBHS, HKDU, HNS,
IDS)  to  nominate a candidate for the presidential elections:  "I  do
believe the others would also accept this idea, so "New Parliament 95"
would  have its own joint candidate. Some other parties would also  be
called to support our candidate. This man should not necessarily be  a
member  of  a party - the best solution would be to find a person  who
does  not belong to any party, acceptable to other opposition parties,
as  well. If this is impossible to be realized, then we have to  agree
upon somebody from "New Parliament 95". (...) We would propose to  HSS
and  others  to establish working groups for preparation  of  concrete
ideas  and  proposals - concerning state structuring, regionalization,
ministerial  organizing,  territorial divisions  -  which  is  a  very
important issue for our party", Jakovcic said.
HSS  President, Zlatko Tomcic, said for "Vecernji list": "All who have
calculated  with  Gotovac as a joint opposition  candidate,  have,  in
fact,  been  working  directly against Gotovac, causing  him  a  major
damage. I think there were even some presumptions. HSS did not want to
say  its  decision  for a long time and, according to  HSS  Presidency
decision of June 25, we would nominate our own candidate for the  next
presidential elections. We have not yet decided who it would be but we
still have a month or two to agree upon this issue". (end) A.S.


     EUROPEAN COUNCIL RENEWED DISCUSSION ON CROATIA

Zagreb,  June  27,  1996  (Press TWRA)  -  Response  of  the  Croatian
government  to the Memorandum of the European Council (EC) Ministerial
board  concerning the refusal of EC to receive Croatia was  presented,
in  a  written form, to the representatives of the Croatain Parliament
on  its  regular session. The response of the Croatian government  was
made  public by state-agency HINA and is composed of 18 pages  of  the
text.  TWRA gives a shorten form of the response, concerning the  five
conditions imposed to the Croatian government.
(1)  As  far  as the cooperation with ICTY is concerned,  Croatia  was
mentioned  as  one of its initiators, open for the future cooperation.
Constitutional law on the cooperation with ICTY, establishing of  ICTY
Office in Zagreb, extradition of T. Blaskic to the Hague, arresting of
Z.   Aleskovski  in  Split  were  mentioned  as  evidences  for   this
cooperation."Croatia  is  still  willing  to  extradite  every  person
charged  for war-crimes, if he/she appears on its territory,  but  can
not  be responsible for the prosecution and arresting of them in  BH."
(2)  Concerning  the  implementation  of  the  agreement  on  the   BH
Federation,  Croatia reminded of its cooperation during the  enactment
of  the  Dayton accord, agreement on the arms-control, its support  to
the  normalization of the situation and to the elections in Mostar and
in  whole BH. Croatian government response, sent on June 13, does  not
mention  a  recent reconstruction of "Herzeg-Bosnia"  government.  (3)
With  regards  to  human  rights,  ethnic  minorities,  refugees   and
displaced persons, Croatian government exposed a plan devided in three
phases  and  concerning  the  return  of  Serb  refugees  to  Croatia,
reminding  of the fact that any Croatian refugee has not yet  returned
to  the  occupied  Eastern Slavonia. "Croatia tries in  every  way  to
improve  the  relations with Belgrade. New round of Granic-Milutinovic
negotiations  was announced in Belgrade, a decree on dispensation  was
accepted  and we are cooperating with EC experts in the field  of  the
implementation  of a constitutional law on human rights  and  freedom,
rigths of national and ethnic minorities and groups." (4) As to media,
it  was  mentioned  that any of 700 publications  in  Croatia  is  not
forbidden nor prevented to be published. "As far as actual charges are
concerned,  any  of  them  has been politically  motivated.  They  are
related  to  disregard  of customer duties and  taxes,  publishing  of
unfounded   information,  personal  calumnies  and  offending   of   a
fundamental personal dignity." New law on informing will be  presented
to  EC  in  order  to be discussed before its second  reading  in  the
Croatian  Parliament.  Croatia  points  out  its  readiness  for   the
continuation  of the consultations with the EC experts  regarding  the
implementation  of the law on telecommunications. (5)  Concerning  the
local  and  regional authorities, esp. as far as the Zagreb crisis  is
concerned, a counselor referendum was mentioned and "beginning of  the
HDZ  cooperation. (HDZ gained major part of  votes on the elections  -
36.5%  - twice more than a leading opposition party - HSLS (...)  HSLS
stopped  negotiating with HDZ on June 13, 1996. HDZ remains  open  for
negotiating  with  all parties. If an agreement is  not  reached,  new
elections  will  be  called." In response to the question  of  Spanish
socialist M. A. Martinez, President of EC ministerial board, S. Kallas
(Estonia)  stated that Croatia would probably be accepted  during  his
mandate  (till  the  end of autumn), adding that  Estonia  supports  a
membership  of Croatia. The reception of Croatia to EU   will  be  the
first  item on the agenda of the Joint Committee session (composed  of
President  of  EC  Parliamentarian assembly  -  L.Fischer,  her  Vice-
President,  members  of  bureau, leaders  of  all  deputy  groups  and
Ministerial board - the one blocking the reception, tomorrow  probably
represented on the level of deputy Ministers). A. Vujic (SDP), one  of
the  Croatian  representatives in Strasbourg, claims Croatia  will  be
received  this  summer  but  it is postponed  intentionally  till  the
conclusion of the BH elections, in order to impose additional pressure
upon  Croatia.  EC  is composed of 39 members- all European  countries
except   Croatia,  BH  and  FRY.  Ljubljana  was  warned  to   prevent
maltreating  of arrested persons and Tirana to renew Albanian  general
elections  because their irregularity could lead to the suspension  of
Albania in the membership to the Council. (end) A.S.
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