Analyst: Genocide suits "political"

Croat Political Analyst Zarko Puhovski said that it is unlikely that Croatia will pull its genocide lawsuit now that Serbia has decided to file its countersuit. “These are obviously political lawsuits and there is no doubt among experts that there is almost no chance that either side will win their cases. It has only to do with internal needs to prolong the era of pressure on the other side,” Puhovski told Belgrade daily Danas. Analyst: Genocide suits "political" “I just returned from a talk show with (Croatian presidential candidate Ivo) Josipovic on a radio station, where he took pride for being one of the authors of the suit, and said that he believes that it should not be withdrawn until Serbia fulfills everything that the suit asks of it,” Puhovski said. According to him, the genocide cases the two countries have filed against each other can lead to nothing but worsening of relations. He said that the public in Croatia is not interested in the suit at all, "other than a small percentage of politicians and lawyers". “These are no longer the times when you could expect some kind of heated public opinion against Serbia or Serbs, it’s quite the opposite, compared to the Slovenians, as far as the public is concerned Serbs are our friends,” he was quoted as saying by the newspaper. He warned that the political disputes can lead to disputes in other areas and can instigate conflict in which “usually, some innocent returnees in some village in Dalmatia are the victims.” Puhovski said that at this moment, “people are a lot more preoccupied with the economic problems and survival” and that “a little more than ordinary nationalistic provocations would be needed to get anti-Serb and anti-Serbia reactions”.

Analyst: Genocide suits "political"

“I just returned from a talk show with (Croatian presidential candidate Ivo) Josipović on a radio station, where he took pride for being one of the authors of the suit, and said that he believes that it should not be withdrawn until Serbia fulfills everything that the suit asks of it,” Puhovski said.

According to him, the genocide cases the two countries have filed against each other can lead to nothing but worsening of relations.

He said that the public in Croatia is not interested in the suit at all, "other than a small percentage of politicians and lawyers".

“These are no longer the times when you could expect some kind of heated public opinion against Serbia or Serbs, it’s quite the opposite, compared to the Slovenians, as far as the public is concerned Serbs are our friends,” he was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

He warned that the political disputes can lead to disputes in other areas and can instigate conflict in which “usually, some innocent returnees in some village in Dalmatia are the victims.”

Puhovski said that at this moment, “people are a lot more preoccupied with the economic problems and survival” and that “a little more than ordinary nationalistic provocations would be needed to get anti-Serb and anti-Serbia reactions”.