ZAGREB, September 28, 2019 - The HVIDRA association of disabled war veterans is dissatisfied with the slowness of the State Prosecutor's Office (DORH) in prosecuting war crimes committed during the 1991-1995 Homeland War, the organisation's president and chairman of the parliamentary committee on war veterans, Josip Đakić, said on Saturday.

The matter was discussed at a HVIDRA meeting in the southern coastal town of Makarska on Friday evening.

"The meeting held yesterday evening voiced dissatisfaction with DORH's slowness in conducting an inquiry in connection with Article 349 of the Criminal Code, and speakers asked if DORH would soon make public the results of the inquiry," Đakić told Hina on the margins of a sports competition of disabled war veterans.

Article 349 says that whoever mocks or disparages the Republic of Croatia, its flag, coat of arms or national anthem shall be punished by a prison term of up to one year.

The article was recently mentioned in the context of statements by Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) leader Milorad Pupovac, who in an interview with Bosnian media likened present-day Croatia to the WWII Nazi-allied Independent State of Croatia (NDH) and said in an interview with the Slovenian newspaper Delo that the ideology of hatred was being generated in Croatian society.

Đakić said that the Makarska meeting involved about 40 officials of HVIDRA, including chairmen of regional committees and members of the presidency, national committee and court of honour, adding that they would meet again next week to discuss further steps.

In his opening remarks at the sports competition on Friday, Đakić said that "those who insult deserve prosecution."

More news about war veterans can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, August 30, 2019 - The HVIDR-a association of Homeland War veterans on Friday stated that it demanded a public apology from Milorad Pupovac over his "reprehensible statements", or Prime Minister and Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) leader Andrej Plenković should sever the coalition with Pupovac's SDSS party.

HVIDR-a, an association of disabled war veterans, is accusing Pupovac of crossing the line with his recent interview with the Radiosarajevo.ba web portal in which this Croatian Serb leader accused Croatia of turning into a factor of instability and claimed that some Catholic dignitaries and war veterans played an important role in promoting intolerance toward other ethnic groups and in reviving Ustasha ideology.

The association says that Pupovac's statements comparing present-day Croatia to the Ustasha regime were reprehensible and inappropriate.

The association also calls on relevant agencies to investigate whether Pupovac's statements have harmed Croatia's reputation.

We insist that Milorad Pupovac should promptly extend his apology to all citizens in Croatia. If he fails to do so, we call on PM Andrej Plenković to decide on discontinuing the coalition with the SDSS party, reads a press release issued by HVIDR-a, which is led by Josip Đakić, a HDZ member of the national parliament.

On Thursday evening PM Plenković said he had met with the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) leader and that he understood his concern about recent attacks on Serbs and that he expected the perpetrators to be punished. Plenković added that no climate of intolerance towards ethnic minorities exists in Croatia.

"We met and we talked," Plenković told reporters in Varaždin, adding that Pupovac "expressed his concern about these incidents, and I understand him as he is a representative of the Serb minority."

Plenković reiterated that it was his choice that ethnic minorities should be part of the parliamentary majority and that he stood by.

More political news can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, September 30, 2018 - War Veterans Minister Tomo Medved condemned on Saturday an attack on MPs Milorad Pupovac and Boris Milošević of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS), saying veterans knew best what suffering was.

ZAGREB, September 17, 2018 - The leader of the regional Croatian Democratic Party of Slavonia and Baranja (HDSSB) Branimir Glavaš told a news conference in Osijek on Sunday that his party would remain a reliable partner to the ruling coalition until the end of its term.

ZAGREB, May 24, 2018 - A decision on the hiring of school principals which gives an advantage to war veterans in the selection and hiring process and which was signed by Science and Education Minister Blaženka Divjak on Thursday elicited much criticism among opposition parties in the parliament, which said that a special, war-veteran caste had been established.

ZAGREB, May 24, 2018 - Science and Education Minister Blaženka Divjak has told Hina that the instruction to schools to give advantage to unemployed veterans when hiring new school principals and dorm heads is not her decision, but rather explains a procedure defined by the Veterans Act.

The European Commission says that the veterans are “a privileged category.”

Croatia will also cover the costs of burials, as well as organize and finance the provision of psycho-social assistance to war victims.

After Kutina and Jasenovac, controversial memorial plaques will be unveiled in Zagreb and Velika Gorica.

After government announced plans to partially privatize HEP, everybody would like to get a piece of it, preferably for free.