Croatian President and Govt Tussle over Army

Croatia's new President, Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, is at odds with the centre-left government over who commands the country's armed forces in peacetime.

Grabar Kitarovic last Friday maintained that she commanded the army in peacetime, adding that a planned military parade for August would not therefore be held.

This statement puts her at odds with the government, which wants a military parade in August in Zagreb to mark the 20th anniversary of Oluja [Storm], the military operation that crushed a Serb rebellion.

Kitrovic initially agreed to the idea of the parade but later changed her mind.

In August 1995, Croatia regained control over about a quarter of its territory after defeating the forces of the self-proclaimed Republic of Serbian Krajina.

Defence Minister Ante Kotromanovic on Saturday sided with the government, saying that the law on defence "clearly proscribes that armed forces in war are run by the President and in peace by the government and the Minister of Defence".

A former member of parliament and one of the authors of the Croatian constitution, Vladimir Seks, backed the President's stand on Tuesday, however.

"Undoubtedly the President of the Republic commands the armed forces," stated Seks - who this week became Grabar Kitarovic's advisor, on leaving the parliament after 25 years.

He accused Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic of not consulting Grabar Kitarovic on the plans to mark Operation Storm.

"This is an inappropriate attempt to cause a constitutional crisis, generated by the Prime Minister Milanovic. He wants to muscle out the authority of the President of the Republic," Seks added.

Former presidents Stjepan Mesic and Ivo Josipovic appear to have slightly different opinions on who commands...