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PRESS CUT - Croatian Press News in English	

October 13, 1998


* TOP STORY

1. DEFENCE MINISTER HEBRANG RESIGNS

* CROATIA

2. UNITED OPPOSITION WINS, HDZ BEST INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
3. GENERAL DECAK SUFFERS HEART ATTACK
4. NATO DID NOT REQUEST FLYOVERS CROATIA
5. NEW INCIDENTS IN DANUBE REGIONS SCHOOLS
6. DISPLACED PERSONS STILL IN KARLOVAC REGION
7. BETWEEN THE EURO-HOOPS
8. CROATIA TAKES THE PEPSI CHALLENGE

* BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

9. PRESIDENCY INAUGURATED
10. OHR COMMENTS ON BANKING, TAXATION AND THE SARAJEVO DECLARATION
11. SFORS MANDATE WILL NOT CHANGE IF YUGOSLAVIA ATTACKED
12. EGYPTIAN SOLDIERS PULLING OUT OF SFOR
13. SARAJEVO IS A BAD DREAM

* YUGOSLAVIA

14. LATEST ON NATO AND KOSOVO SITUATIONS
15. SERBS IN ROMANIA THREATEN RETRIBUTION FOR NATO CO-OPERATION
16. ALBANIA OFFERS NATO ITS WATERS AND SKIES



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***


* TOP STORY

1. Vecernji list, Ministar Hebrang podnio neopozivu ostavku, October 13,
1998, p. 3.
DEFENCE MINISTER HEBRANG RESIGNS

ZAGREB - Yesterday, Dr. Andrija Hebrang forwarded his unconditional letter
of resignation to the position of Defence Mnister, Vice-president of the
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and head of the presidential medical
consultation to President of the Republic of Croatia, Dr. Franjo Tudjman.

"Honourable Mr. President, I am tendering my unconditional resignation to
my positions as Minister of Defence of the Republic of Croatia,
Vice-president of the HDZ and head of your medical consultation team,"
reads the letter. "My decision for this resignation was made after your
complete loss of trust in me, without which it is impossible to carry out
my duties. I had wanted to implement the brilliant organisation of the
defence ministry from a wartime into a peacetime institution in all daily
areas of activity, in accordance to the detailed plan I proposed to you and
to which you agreed in May of this year. In July you did not agree to
replacing two out of eight of my assistants, who - as opposed to the rest -
after three months of implementing complicated duties, refused to accept my
work methods. You refused to accept the resignation I tendered September 4,
1998 and agreed to replace my two assistants.

"Instead of that, spurred on by a series of incorrect information which you
accepted, you appointed a four-member board of my subordinates in the
Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Croatia, which was tasked to
question my relationship with the said two assistants. Seven days later,
September 29, you decided, again based on wrong information you received,
to establish a party committee aimed to carry out an investigation on my
actions. I agreed to be questioned, but learned of my accusations on
October 10, at the session of the HDZ National Council. I refuted the
entire list of accusations with arguments. The accusations are absurd and
oppose the very principles of my life, as well as my nine years of
political work.

"These decisions have made it impossible for any form of my continued work
and my party reputation has been lowered to the lowest possible level. Two
completely unfounded investigations are the consequences of a long-term
premeditated campaign and insult the name I carry, a name which I have
proudly protected from insults in more difficult situations, during the
former regime.

"Honourable Mr. President, without your support, all of my intentions to
implement complicated programs of national importance are in vain. I will
always respect your historic role in creating the Croatian state and in
achieving the dreams of our ancestors. Their sacrifices received meaning
under your flag. I thank you for helping me to devote the best nine years
of my life into the foundations of the Croatian state.

"May God help you differ good from evil."

***


* CROATIA

2. M. Rilovic, Udruzenoj oporbi pobjeda, HDZ-a pojedincano najvise,
Vecernji list, October 13, 1998, p. 5.
UNITED OPPOSITION WINS, HDZ BEST INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

DUBROVNIK - At Sundays repeated elections for the Dubrovnik Neretva County
Assembly, 64,575 people turned out to vote out of 104,614 registered
voters. They voted for 13 Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) representatives,
10 Social Democratic Party (SDP), 10 Croatian Peasant Party (HSS), 3
Croatian Social liberal Party (HSLS), 2 Liberal Party (LS) and 2
Independent List (NL). This was reported at yesterdays press conference by
the county elections committee. The final line-up of parties that will be
entering the County Assembly by tickets (HDZ, SDP, HSS, HSLS, NL, LS) were
also made public.

The HDZ got the most votes (20,712 or 33.15%), but the biggest surprise is
that the SDP (11,907 or 19.06%), which outdid the opposition favourite HSS
(11,692 or 18.72%). Then came the HSLS (3,673 or 5.88%), the NL (3,579 or
5.73%) and the LS (3,136 or 5.02%). The parties that did not pass the
election threshold of five percent are, in order: Croatian Party of Rights
(HSP) with 2,938 votes, Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU) with
1,256, Croatian Party of Entrepreneurs (HPS) with 1,630, Croatian Peoples
Party (HNS) with 850, Croatian Party of Rights 1861 (HSP 1861) with 774 and
Croatian Party of Natural Law (HSNZ) with 324.

The opposition, i.e. the candidates from the united coalition - HSS, SDP,
HSLS, LS, HKDU - received nine out of ten electoral units, while the HDZ
only won in one electoral unit with Stipe Gabric Jambo in Metkovic
(electoral unit 4).

Due to the fact that the united opposition agreed to support joint
candidates in electoral units, they won in the following order: HSS won
four electoral units with their candidates Mate Dropac, Srecko Kljunka,
Stijepo Bogdanovic and Ante Jerkovic; SDP in the first three electoral
units with their candidates Jeno Oreb, Mirko Duhovic and Mat Dragobratovic.
The LS and HSLS each was victorious in one electoral unit with Ivica Ban
(LS) in Mokosica and Primorje, while Boris Franusic (HSLS), who was the top
of the party ticket won in Dubrovnik - Montovijerna Lapad.

According to the inter-party agreement signed by the united opposition
before the beginning of campaigning, the party with the most votes has the
right to propose a prefect and the second place party proposes a president
of the county assembly. It is to be expected that the next Dubrovnik
Neretva County prefect will be from the ranks of the SDP, while the
president will be from the HSS. The united opposition will jointly decide
who will be the deputy prefect and the final agreements are expected very
shortly, as the inter-party agreement stipulates everything. Though the SDP
election headquarters did not wish to prejudge, it is expected that Ivan
Sprlje of the SDP will take the prefect position.

The inter-party agreement also stipulates that none of the coalition
parties - HSS, SDP, HSLS, LS, HKDU - will go into any post-election
coalition with the HDZ, hence there should be no surprises in that regard,
either.

Among the first to congratulate on the unexpected good results of the SDP
was the Dubrovnik HDZ. It congratulated the SDP for their good individual
party results and the overall victory of the united opposition. Ivan
Sprlje, the president of the county SDP committee, was also congratulated
by Dubrovnik Mayor Vido Bogdanovic.

***

3. F.B., General Djuro Decak dozivio srcani udar, October 13, 1998, p. 4.
GENERAL DECAK SUFFERS HEART ATTACK

VIROVITICA - Virovitica Podravina County Prefect Gen. Djuro Decak suffered
a heart attack yesterday morning.

He was brought to the Intensive Care Unit of the Virovitica General
Hospital, where internist Dr. Borislav Mostovac said Decak was diagnosed
with a cardial infarction, but his condition is stable. It is planned he be
moved him from the ICU to the internal department for continued treatment.

Decak has had heart problems and this most recent one that began on
Saturday, meaning he basically walked through a coronary. However, the
consequences of the coronary escalated yesterday with chest pains getting
stronger and forcing Decak to seek medical attention.

***

4. Lada Stipic-Niseteo, NATO nije zatrazio prelete preko Hrvatske,
Vecernji list, October 13, 1998, p. 3.
NATO DID NOT REQUEST FLYOVERS CROATIA

BRUSSELS - When NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana was asked on Saturday
whether partner countries neighbouring FRY have given NATO their permission
to use their airspace in case of military action, he simply answered, "no
comment."

NATO is not too keen on discussing technical details and the only item
indicating everything has been solved is a statement that the alliance has
"cleared up all procedural questions." The neighbours of FRY have refused
to give any public assent to loan their airspace out of understandable
political and security reasons. Albania and Bulgaria are the exceptions, as
they were quick to confirm their partnership obligations.

Also, NATO sources say that permission to use Croatian airspace has not
been not requested. It is practice that NATO officially request permission
from the authorities of every country before entering its airspace . The
procedure presumes parliamentary opinion or a policy of the government or
both, which again depends on the democratic procedures of each country to
which the request is directed.

If one can judge by the way NATO aircraft flew during the warning actions,
Croatian airspace is not important for the work NATO has planned.

***

5. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 13, 1998.
NEW INCIDENTS IN DANUBE REGIONS SCHOOLS

VUKOVAR - Another incident has occurred in a school in Borovo Naselje. A
group of pupils in the First High School took down the Croatian
coat-of-arms on Friday in three empty classrooms. One was shattered and the
second was thrown in the garbage. The third had four Cyrillic letters S
surrounding a cross (Serbian symbol) written on it and was then hung back
on the wall. Principal Obrad Mirosavljevic and his vice-principal Josip Rac
were told about this event right after it happened and they called the
police. It seems that the perpetrators of this tasteless exhibit of
vandalism are known, but their names are being withheld, as the
investigation is still ongoing.

***

6. T.G., Na karlovackom podrucju jos 5.500 prognanika, Vjesnik, October
13, 1998, p. 6.
5,500 DISPLACED PERSONS STILL IN KARLOVAC REGION

KARLOVAC - There are still 5,500 displaced persons (DPs) living in the
Karlovac region. According to the head of the DP camp Gaza, Edita Premec,
there are 1,350 DPs in that camp alone, mostly from the Slunj, Plitvice,
Rakovica and Cetingrad areas. The DPs have not received humanitarian aid in
the last while, but accommodations in the camp will be heated this winter.
It is expected 150 DPs with returnee status, whose houses have been
renewed, will leave Gaza before the winter. According to the ODPR, this
camp could close by the end of next year.

***

7. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 13, 1998.
BETWEEN THE EURO-HOOPS

ZAGREB - Zagreb will host another team from the top of European basketball
tonight at 20:00 (CET). Greeces AEK is coming to town for a fourth-round
Raimond Saporte Cup game. Coach Zeljko Poljaks strategy will be to play a
slow and sluggish offence with a lighting fast finish, or else the Greeks
could run away with the game.

Split will play host to Turkish Turk Telekom in another fourth-round
Raimond Saporte Cup game. Split seems to have the better team and they
defeated Mlekarna Kunin by a high margin (Turk Telekom lost to that same
team), but the Turks are always dangerous.

Cibona will play its Euroleague game in Turkey against EFES Pilsen
tomorrow. They will have a difficult time, as this Turkish team is
favourite to finish at the top of their group. However, the Turks are
having some injury problems, so Cibona could prepare a nice surprise IN
Turkey. The game tips off tomorrow at 17:00 (CET).

There will be two more games tomorrow in Zagreb in the Radivoj Korac Cup,
as Benston hosts Tuborg at 18:00 (CET) and Zrinjevac tips off against
Telekom Bonn two hours later.

Finally, Zadar will be visiting Olympiakos in their Euroleague game on
Thursday. This will be another very tough game, as the Greeks have
excellent basketball teams. That game will tip off at 21:15 (CET).

***

8. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 13, 1998.
CROATIA TAKES THE PEPSI CHALLENGE

ZAGREB - The Croatian National Basketball Team has a new head coach. Bosko
Bozic Pepsi was chosen to be the next in line after Jelovac, Giergia and
Petrovic. Pepsi led the national team in four games three years ago, two of
which he won and two he lost.

"For me there are no young and old players. I divide the players up
according to how much each one can give the team. That is, I might add, the
policy of the Croatian basketball Association," stated Pepsi, adding that
he hopes he will be able to take Croatian basketball back to the top of
Europe and the world.

***


* BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

9. J.C., Croatian Information Centre - Sarajevo, October 13, 1998.
PRESIDENCY INAUGURATED

SARAJEVO - The people of Bosnia and Herzegovina have voted for change and
it is up to the new Presidency to make that happen said Deputy High
Representative Jacques Klein at the presidential inauguration this morning.

Klein also said that while the international community will continue to
stand by the peace-building process in B&H, the Presidency must take a more
decisive role in charting the countrys course.

"This is your country and it is for you, not for us, to chart its destiny
and craft its future. It is for you to run your own affairs," said Klein.

Taking the helm of the three-member B&H Presidency is Zivko Radisic, the
Serbian member. After his term as presidential chairperson is up, Ante
Jelavic, the Croatian member, will follow and then Alija Izetbegovic, the
Bosniak Muslim member. Their whole term is four years.

The three have promised to uphold the laws of B&H, fully implement Dayton
and perform their duties in the best possible way.

Related to this, Klein said he was encouraged by the presidents informal
meeting last week, in which they quickly decided the issue of meeting venue
and set the tone for a constructive relationship.

"Mr. Presidents, I admire such resolute action," said Klein. "I have every
confidence in your ability to make rapid progress."

Now all thats left is for the Bosnia and Herzegovina and the world to
watch what the presidents can do.

***

10. J.C., Croatian Information Centre - Sarajevo, October 13, 1998.
OHR COMMENTS ON BANKING, TAXATION AND THE SARAJEVO DECLARATION

SARAJEVO - The Office of the High Representative made several statements
today.

The first relates to an open letter from B&H Federation Prime Minister
Edhem Bicakcic. In the letter, Bicakcic says that freezing all government
accounts to deal with the countrys debts has had negative consequences for
the Federation and the counties. He argues that Federation and county
accounts should be permitted to function.

Meanwhile, the OHR and the World Bank do not accept Bicakcics arguments.
The demanded the National Bank be liquidated last August so that much
needed reform can begin and continue to stand behind that decision.

"The OHR sees no reason why the National Banks operations on Federation
territory need no cease," said Deputy High Representative Simon Haselock.

In a second matter, Haselock said the OHR wants taxing of goods coming in
from the Serbian entity Republika Srpska to the Federation to stop. He said
there is no reason for this nor any law to permit it. In the meantime, the
OHR is looking into Bicakcics explanation that the Federation is only
taxing goods originally coming from outside Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Specifically, this means goods from the FR Yugoslavia, which RS authorities
do not tax upon entry as they should.

Finally, Haselock said the OHR is dissatisfied with the progress on the
Sarajevo Declaration. This year only 2,500 non-Bosniaks have returned to
Sarajevo, which is much lower than the 22,000 demanded by the signed
declaration. Haselock emphasised that the number comes from county
authorities. He also said that return must be two directional, but that
people are using that as an excuse not to do anything about it.

"The process has to begin somewhere," said Haselock. "Someone has to leave
for someone to come back."

***

11. J.C., Croatian Information Centre - Sarajevo, October 13, 1998.
SFORS MANDATE WILL NOT CHANGE IF YUGOSLAVIA ATTACKED

The SFOR mandate will not change should NATO attack FR Yugoslavia stated
Lieutenant Glenn Chamberlain, SFOR spokesperson, today.

"SFOR is only concerned with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Any decision on FR
Yugoslavia does not affect SFOR and is in no way linked."

Chamberlain added that no SFOR troops nor equipment will be sent to help in
the event of an attack, nor will any SFOR bases in B&H used for other NATO
troops, planes or equipment.

In relation to this, no personnel from SFOR, the UNHCR, other United
Nations organisations or the High Representatives Office in the Serbian
entity Republika Srpska have been withdrawn according to spokespeople from
all agencies.

The OSCE is the exception though. It has withdrawn American personnel in
the RS at the request of the U.S. government. All other nationals remain.

***

12. J.C., Croatian Information Centre - Sarajevo, October 13, 1998.
EGYPTIAN SOLDIERS PULLING OUT OF SFOR

SARAJEVO - After several years of participation in the peacekeeping
missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egyptian soldiers are preparing to leave.

The Egyptian government has decided to pull its troops out of B&H, but not
because of NATOs dissatisfaction with their performance as some have
speculated.

 "The Egyptian battalion is returning home," said an SFOR spokesperson. "It
has served here several years with NATO and before that with UNPROFOR. As
far as I know, its has been here seven and a half years. SFOR has been very
satisfied with the battalions performance in helping the citizens of B&H
live in freedom and peace."

SFOR could not comment on why the Egyptian government has decided to pull
its troops at the end of their mandate, but it did confirm that talks on
the matter took place at the highest NATO levels in Brussels.

***

13. J.C., Croatian Information Centre - Sarajevo, October 13, 1998.
SARAJEVO IS A BAD DREAM

SARAJEVO - A night of literature dedicated to Zlatko Topcic took place at
the Kamerni Theatre Monday. Particular attention was paid to Topcics new
novel Kosmar (Nightmare), for which he received the B&H Writers
Association Award.

During the evening author Zeljko Grahovac recommended that anyone truly
interested in modern prose should take a look at Kosmar. He said the work
represents a progression in this post-war period that solves poetic and
composition problems of modern literature.

Kosmar deals with the reality of living in death, that is, the extension of
life beyond death, which according to Grahovac represents life in a
surrounded city.

"Kosmar means ugly, unsound and difficult sleep, which is an appropriate
title for a book dealing with the same thing," said Topcic. "All of those
who carry Sarajevos war experience will understand the book; they will
accept a hero who is killed, yet continues to live."

***


* YUGOSLAVIA

14. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 13, 1998.
LATEST ON NATO AND KOSOVO SITUATIONS

BRUSSELS, BELGRADE, PRISTINA - There are many conflicting reports from last
nights Milosevic - Holbrooke meeting.

However, according to Russian Defence Minister Sergeyev, Milosevic has
agreed to allow 1,500 monitors into Kosovo. This unofficially named
KOSFOR would include, Russian civilian and military personnel. Also,
Russian military aviation was offered to supervise Yugoslav airspace.

The other reliable bit of information comes from NATO and Holbrooke. NATO
has decided to give Milosevic another 96 hours to comply with the UN
Security Council resolution on Kosovo, which indicates Holbrooke has made
some progress with the Balkan Butcher. Whether or not the Activation
Order is issued, Holbrooke is in Belgrade again today for another round of
talks with the Yugoslav president, being that an Activation Order does not
mean sorties have to begin immediately.

Finally, there were reports Yugoslav police and military forces attacked
more Kosovo Albanian villages, killing two ethnic Albanians, according to
the Kosovo Information Agency. Furthermore, almost all Western diplomatic
institutions in Belgrade have evacuated or begun to evacuate their
personnel. This shows that the NATO air-strike threat is still real and
that anything can happen. There are another 96 hours of waiting before the
earliest possible air-strikes.

***

15. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 13, 1998.
SERBS IN ROMANIA THREATEN RETRIBUTION FOR NATO CO-OPERATION

BUCHAREST - Romanian President Emil Constantinescu announced on Sunday that
Romania has agreed to allow NATO limited access to the country's airspace
in the event of air-strikes against Yugoslavia. Constantinescu said NATO
planes can fly over Romania "for emergency and unforeseen situations." He
added that the decision would be submitted to parliament for approval
Monday, but made it clear Romania would not take any "direct part in
military action." On October 9, Gioca Glisic, the vice-president of the
Serb Union of Romania, said the Serbian community in Romania will take it
upon itself to "blow up the Timisoara airport" if the government allows
NATO planes to land there, according to a story reported by Rompres.

***

16. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 13, 1998.
ALBANIA OFFERS NATO ITS WATERS AND SKIES

TIRANA - The Albanian government issued a statement on Sunday offering its
airspace and territorial waters to NATOs disposal until the end of this
year for any military operations against Serbia. Albania had previously
offered only its military infrastructure - military bases, airports and
ports - for NATO operations. In other news, the Foreign Ministry issued a
statement on Saturday stipulating that federal Yugoslav troops penetrated
50 metres into Albanian territory on October 8 at Dobrun near Kukes.





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