"General Gotovina is grateful to the city of Split, those who put forward the proposal and all city councillors for the support and honour shown through the proposal, and he asks that the procedure be postponed for some other time," a statement from the office of the Split mayor said on Tuesday.

According to the statement, after the April 21 session the city authorities contacted the general through his fellow soldier and friend, retired general Zeljko Dilber, to ask for his opinion on the initiative.

The statement said that Gotovina's response referred to both the proposal to name him an honorary citizen of Split and to name a city street or square after him.

At the April 21 session of the Split City Council, councillor Luka Roguljic of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) proposed that Gotovina be named an honorary citizen of Split and that a square or street in downtown Split be named after him. City Council chair Nevenka Becic recalled at the session that such a proposal had existed since 2001. All 22 city councillors supported the proposal, and a recommendation was made that the commission in charge of street names check if Gotovina agreed with the proposal.