The national coordinating body of Homeland War associations on Monday strongly protested against a statement made on Sunday by the anchorman of the Croatian Television political talk show "Nedjeljom u dva", Aleksandar Stankovic, which it said put war veterans in the context of political corruption.
"This is not only an unacceptable statement but also a lie aimed at making the public believe that 500,000 veterans enjoy the so-called 'privileged pensions', while facts and arguments have long disputed the false information," the coordinating body said in a statement.
It added that the anchorman was downplaying values of the Homeland War and the significance of the sacrifices made in that war by the Croat people, all Croatian citizens and members of all ethnic minorities, the consequences of which it said were still being felt by numerous veterans and their families.
The body asked the Croatian Radio and Television (HRT) Council to launch disciplinary proceedings against Stankovic, adding that it also expected the Croatian Journalists Association to condemn his statement.
