President Ivo Josipovic has said that the reason why he reacted "in a stronger and more aggressive manner" in his letter to the Novosti weekly in which he criticised the Serb People's Council (SNV) leader Milorad Pupovac were insinuations that he was exerting pressure on the weekly's publisher, the SNV council, however, Josipovic has added, the exact reason for Pupovac's dissatisfaction is his (Josipovic's) commitment to making the political scene of the Serb ethnic minority more pluralistic.
"There was no response to the actual reason of dissatisfaction, and that is my efforts to have as many representatives of the Serb minority, notably distinguished people, as possible arriving in Knin, which represents pluralism," Josipovic said referring to the attendance of Serb representatives at events observing the anniversary of the August 1995 Operation Storm in which Croatia's forces liberated central and southern areas which had been under rebel Serbs' control since 1991.
Josipovic said on Saturday, during his visit to Istria, that some were making up accusations that "I want to affect the financing of a newspaper with 300-400 copies in circulation" which he also described as a newspaper of little relevance.
He described such accusations as incorrect adding that those accusations had triggered off the strongly worded tone of his letter.
"There is no getting around it," Josipovic said today.
He also confirmed that he had been informed about many complaints about Pupovac's work, including Serbs from Vukovar and other towns.
"Let aside personal matters, I think that it is very important to discuss how all of us take care for the rights of minorities," Josipovic said adding that Pupovac may have been expected at the Knin celebrations on 5 August, but only Mr. Veljko Dzakula had come and that such developments were the reason for disagreements.
All of this indicates pluralism on the minority scene. Pupovac may have reasons to be angry over his nonattendance in Knin, but he has no reason to react in the manner he did, Josipovic said adding that the times would come to treat more successfully issues such as the reconstruction of war-stricken property and the representativeness of the Serbs in local authorities.
The Croatian president denied allegations that he was trying to send Pupovac in political retirement, and emphasised that he had no intention to interfere in such matters.
It is not my business to choose who will represent the Serb or any other minority. It is my role to help everyone who wants Croatia to be a country in which all people are integrated. This is my goal on which I will work, no matter what others think," Josipovic said.
Dismissing as tragical Pupovac's proposal that he should resign as the head of state if he wants to be a leader of the Serb minority, Josipovic said that he was the president of everyone in Croatia and that he wished well to everyone as he treated all citizens equally, regardless of their ethnic background.
