[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E399-E400]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

MEMBERS CRITICIZE CROATIAN GOVERNMENT IN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT

______

HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

of new york

in the house of representatives

Tuesday, March 17, 1998

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform my colleagues of a
letter to President Clinton expressing the deep concern of members
about the Croatian government's authoritarian and non-democratic
actions. Because the United States is sending financial aid to Croatia
we must monitor the situation. I am inserting a copy of this letter
along with a translation of a related March 13, 1998 Voice of America
boardcast.

Congress of the United States

Washington, DC 20515
Hon. William Jefferson Clinton,
President of the United States,
The White House, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. President: We are writing to express our deep
concern regarding the Croatian government's continued pattern
of intolerance toward the basic freedoms of political
expression, a free press, and civil liberties. While we
expected that the transition

[[Page E400]]

from a former communist republic to a democracy would not
happen overnight, it has been seven years since Croatia
declared itself an independent democratic nation, and little
progress has been made in implementing democratic reforms.
This was recently reaffirmed by the State Department's
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1997. In its
report, the State Department makes the finding that in
Croatia ``the continuing concentration of power within the
one-party central government, makes Croatia's nominally
democratic system in reality authoritarian.''
Most print and broadcast media continue to be owned by the
Croatian government resulting in considerable restriction on
freedom of the press. Journalists who criticize the
government face harassment and even prosecution. the
Association of Electronic Media Journalists was established
in October 1997, and issued a manifesto (``Forum 21'') with
21 points calling for professional and open electronic media.
The State Department found ``13 of members who worked for
state radio and television, came under immediate pressure and
threats from the HDZ [President Tudjman's party] and the
state-run media to curtail these outside activities.'' The
State Department further reported ``The Government maintained
an unofficial campaign of harassment of the independent media
throughout the year.''
In August 1997, the Croatian government brought charges
against two prominent human rights activists, Ivan Cicak,
long-time President of the Croatian Helsinki Committee, and
politician Dobroslav Paraga, President of the Croatian Party
of Rights 1861. The government alleged that both men had
violated the Criminal Code by disseminating false information
with the intent of causing political instability in the
country. According to the State Department Report, ``. . .
the same and similar statements had been made by these
individuals--with no ensuing public disorder--several years
previously and that similar sentiments were expressed by
others.'' The charges were brought against these men within
days of their meeting with the investigators from The Hague
War Crimes Tribunal in which they turned over documentation
involving allegations against several high government
officials.
In addition, the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe (OSCE) found the presidential election in June of
1997 to be ``fundamentally flawed'' and came to a similar
conclusion with regards to the parliamentary and local
elections in April 1997. The President's ruling party was
given an overwhelming advantage in coverage by the state-
owned electronic media throughout the election year.
Furthermore, there is a disturbing trend over the past few
years by the Croatian government to use administrative courts
to replace heads of democratically elected parties. The
method is simple, the party is registered as being headed by
someone who is favored by the ruling party.
The judicial system continues to be heavily influenced by
the Croatian Administration. In 1997, the Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court, Krunislaw Olujic, was dismissed. Three
members of the State Judiciary Council were witnesses against
him while at the same time they also decided his fate. The
OSCE reported that Olujic's dismissal ``put in question the
separation of powers provided for by the Constitution.''
Mr. President, we believe it is well past the time for
Croatia to hold fair and free elections based on election
laws which do not favor the ruling party over the opposition.
The government should return democratically elected leaders
of Parliamentary parties who were removed by administrative
measures. There must be multi-party control of the election
process. An independent media must be allowed to report
without fear of reprisal, and the judiciary must be
independent from any political influence. We therefore urge
you to increase the pressure on the Croatian government to
come in line with internationally recognized democratic
principles through all means at your disposal, including the
disbursement of U.S. assistance.
Sincerely,
Tom Lantos, Tom Campbell, Tony P. Hall, John Edward
Porter, Martin Frost, Henry J. Hyde, Benjamin A.
Gilman, Luise V. Gutierrez, William O. Lipinski,
Edolphus Towns, Jesse L. Jackson Jr., Joel Hefley.
____

Voice of America--American Congressmen Request of President Clinton
That He Increase the Pressure on the Republic of Croatia To Become a
Democratic Country

(By Bojan Klima)

A group of very influential American Congressmen recently
sent a letter to President Bill Clinton and submitted a
resolution to the U.S. Congress. The lawmakers wanted to
increase the pressure on the Croatian government to come in
line with fundamental democratic principles. The Congressmen
urged the American President that he use all means at his
disposal, including disbursement of U.S. assistance. Among
the many distinguished cosponsors and signatures are
influential Benjamin Gilman, Chairman of the International
Relations Committee, Congressman Tom Lantos, a member of this
Committee, and Congressman Henry Hyde. What is the reason for
this contact with President Clinton?

Intolerance toward fundamental political freedoms

The lawmakers expressed deep concern regarding the Croatian
government's continued pattern of intolerance toward the
basic freedoms of political expression. In these documents
the Congressmen spoke of freedom of expression, freedom of
media and several violations against civil rights of
individuals. For example, they wrote that the government has
control of most of the electronic and print media.
Journalists who criticize the government face harassment and
even persecution. One example, the American State Department
found thirteen journalist, who worked for State radio and
television and who are members of Forum 21, received pressure
and threats because they are members of this independent
group.

Media is under the control of the government; cases Cicak, Paraga and
Olujic

In the letter to the President the U.S. Congressmen quoted
two cases, Ivan Cicak and Dobroslav Paraga, who were charged
in August for violating the Criminal Code by disseminating
false information with the intention of causing political
instability in the country. The Congressmen wrote in the
letter to President Clinton that charges were brought against
these men within days of their meeting with investigators
from the Hague War Crimes Tribunal to whom they had turned
over documentation involving allegations against several high
government officials. U.S. lawmakers quoted some other
examples of the non-democratic nature of the political system
in the Republic of Croatia. Media presentation of the
electorial campaign during the last presidential election was
so non-objective that the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) proclaimed the election
``unfair.'' Furthermore, there is a disturbing trend by the
Croatian government to use administrative courts to replace
heads of democratically-elected parties. Instead of the
democratically-elected heads, the party is registered as
being headed by someone who is favored by the ruling party.
And the judicial system continues to be heavily influenced by
the ruling party. The U.S. Congressmen cited the dismissal of
Krunislav Olujic, the President of the Supreme Court of
Croatia and referred to the report of OSCE that Olujic's
dismissal put in question the separation of powers provided
for the Constitution.

Seven years since independence, the Republic of Croatia has made very
little progress toward developing democracy

The American Congressmen wrote the American President that
while they had not expected that democracy would happen
overnight in a former communist republic, they found it
regrettable the Republic of Croatia has made very little
progress toward democracy development in the last seven
years. They urged President Clinton to increase pressure on
the Croatian government to carry out several demands: first,
that Croatia should hold fair and free elections based on
election laws which do not favor the ruling party over the
opposition; second, the government must return
democratically-elected leaders of Parliamentary parties who
were removed by administrative measures; third, their must be
multi-party control of the election process; and fourth that
journalists and judges must be allowed to function without
fear of reprisal or political repression. Finally, these very
influential American Congressmen requested of President
Clinton that he increase the pressure on the Croatian
government to come in line with internationally-recognized
democratic principles. The Congressmen requested that
President Clinton use all means at his disposal, including
U.S. economic assistance.

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