Bosnian Serb Leader Criticizes Croatia's Celebrations

[Croatia123]

Bosnian Serb leader Milan Jelic today criticized Croatia for its planned celebrations on August 5 to mark the defeat of Serbian nationalist forces in 1995.

Jelic said it is unfortunate that Croatian authorities celebrate "the expulsion and ethnic cleansing of Croatian Serbs during Operation Storm as a national holiday."

Operation Storm won back Croatia's occupied territories, but left many Serbian civilians dead and thousands more were forced to flee the territory.

[Mary]

The moves by the two countries came after a second ballot of General Assembly voting in which both Croatia and Costa Rica pulled well ahead.

The Czech Republic and the Dominican Republic pulled out of U.N. Security Council elections on Tuesday, clearing the way for Croatia and Costa Rica to win nonpermanent seats for 2008-09.

The moves by the two countries came after a second ballot of General Assembly voting in which both Croatia and Costa Rica pulled well ahead, coming close to winning the two-thirds majority required from the 192-member assembly.

At that point, the Czech Republic and the Dominican Republic decided not to pursue their contests. A further ballot was being held, however, to confirm the required majority for Croatia and Costa Rica.

Earlier, unopposed Libya, Vietnam and Burkina Faso won election to the 15-member council.

[Mary]

Although, according to certain sources within the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Milanovic is candidate for deputy prime minister, that is deputy to the SDP's candidate for prime minister, Ljubo Jurcic, today the party president repeated earlier statements that his affinity still beams towards the Croatian parliament.

- These kinds of assumptions are perfectly legitimate. The job ahead of us all is important and of great responsibility, and we will not escape from it. On several occasions I said that the main organ of Croatian democracy has to be the parliament – Milanovic said, stating that the present parliament is not.

- A virtual order rules there, that is, total disorder, and this does not serve any purpose – Milanovic said at a press conference in Slavonski Brod (eastern Croatia).

- Therefore, the answer to these speculations is that I have affinity towards the parliament without bidding for whatever position, presidential or vice-presidential because this is what the HDZ does – Milanovic said.

Within the SDP government no one will be minister accidentally

Sharply condemning journalist Zeljko Peratovic’s arrest, as he said “like some terrorist”, Milanovic said that SDP advocated law reinforcement, but also that in this kind of situation they persecute those who are the origin of such problems and who distribute protected documents, “and these people are in power, not within the media”.

- This situation has gone too far, we sharply condemn it and once more we see that the PM, that is, the leader of HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union), expects responsibility from his ministers and he has no idea of what is happening to him in the departments because he brings to ministers’ seats people who get there by accident. He is for media freedom, but he likes to arrest journalists, and the ministry, lead by his accidental minister takes part in these arrests and abuses – Milanovic said.

He added that SDP has a team and that within the SDP government, which will probably be a coalition, no one will be minister by accident.

SDP promises fiscal and political decentralisation

Milanovic expressed that Croatia’s regional development lacks uniformity and that some parts of the country are neglected in every aspect. He said that it is because the present government favours and helps regions where HDZ is in power.

- We are different and we think that within the central state government's policy there are not, and there will not be differences between counties and towns relative to who is in power. If we gain power we will carry out fiscal and political decentralisation – Milanovic promised.