ZAGREB, CROATIA – The Association of Soldiers, Invalids and Widows of the Homeland Defence War of Podravka is embittered that Stjepan Mesic, the president of Croatia and Commender-in-Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces, that is, “the president of all citizens”, as he likes to call himself, did not attend a mass for the homeland in Knin on Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day, which all members of the state’s top attended, the association said in a statement. 

Mesic said his reason for not attending the mass was the fact that nobody from the Church distanced themselves from a recent editorial commentary in the Church’s official newspaper, Glas koncila, in which he is referred to as “grand traitor”. Ivan Miklenic in his commentary harshly slammed the Croatian president and, although he did not write his name, alluded to him and his speech with foreign ambassadors on Brijuni island. In that speech, Mesic criticised the government and its cooperation with The Hague’s international war crimes tribunal regarding the so-called Artillery Logs.

- This is simply scandalous because otherwise many other believers should refuse to go to holy mass because somebody insulted them without apologising. People go to church, that is, mass, for entirely different reasons. This way, the President of the Republic of Croatia disparaged all victims who fell in defence of the Croatian Homeland – the association said.

Also, the association added, it is inappropriate that in his speech Mesic exalted Croatia’s victory in the military and police operation Storm, without even mentioning his predecessor, the first president of Croatia and victor of the Homeland Defence War, Dranjo Tudjman, as if the most glorious victory in the aggression against the republic of Croatia came about without a leader.

- It is also unacceptable and impudent that once again, the President did not visit the grave of Franjo Tudjman. As a private person, he can have as much as he wants against people like Franjo Tudjman, but as long as he is ‘the president of all citizens’, he should and has to behave in line with the function he is performing – the association said.