Plenković Praised Jelenić’s Qualifications for Chief State Attorney

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković stated on Wednesday that Dražen Jelenić, who was proposed by the Government the day before as the new Chief State Attorney, has spent most of his career in various instances of the State Attorney’s Office and is a competent lawyer with all the qualifications.

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“Jelenić has practically spent 95 percent of his career in various instances of the State Attorney’s Office, I believe he has all the qualifications, he is currently the president of the State Attorney’s Council, he is a competent lawyer, he was engaged in the accession negotiations, and he is involved in international cooperation,” Plenković told reporters after signing an agreement on financing in agriculture.

“He is, for example, in GRECO (Group of States Against Corruption of the Council of Europe), that is another one of those famous policemen, a relative of GREVIO (an international body composed of independent experts in the field of domestic violence) and I do not see that he has caused any problems,” the Prime Minister joked.

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Plenković concluded that it is now necessary to achieve as broad cooperation as possible and that the State Attorney’s Office deals with what is within its jurisdiction, whether criminal or civil matters, protecting state interests and fighting against corruption. The Prime Minister thanked Dinko Cvitan for his contribution and work, assessing the cooperation as “entirely correct.”

The Government proposed at its meeting on Tuesday that Jelenić, the current deputy of Cvitan, become the new Chief State Attorney, and Justice Minister Dražen Bošnjaković stated that Jelenić knows the system and all processes within the State Attorney’s Office.

The proposal was sent to the Croatian Parliament yesterday, and the Government immediately expects a session of the Justice Committee which gives a preliminary opinion, after which this item will be included in the parliamentary agenda for discussion and voting. Everything should be completed by April 24, when the current State Attorney Dinko Cvitan’s term ends.

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It is up to other actors to show a signal of unity in expressing respect for the victims

Regarding the separate commemoration of the victims of the Ustaša concentration camp Jasenovac, Plenković said that the Government has done everything on its part to reduce tensions and divisions in society and that it is up to other actors to show a signal of unity in expressing respect for the victims.

“I would have liked to avoid them,” the Prime Minister told reporters when asked if three columns in Jasenovac could be avoided in contrast to the official commemoration of the victims.

He stated that the state respects and gives full piety to the victims of the Ustaša camp in Jasenovac. This will, he added, be done this year as well as last year, and “it is up to other actors to see if they want to show a signal of unity in expressing that piety and respect for the victims.”

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The Government, the Prime Minister stated, has a clear stance, engages in dialogue, and everything it does is aimed at changing the social atmosphere. He believes that this was also the role of the Council for Dealing with the Consequences of Totalitarian Systems.

“Those who read the document carefully could see the effort of its creators, historians, lawyers, political scientists who tried to send a message about nurturing a culture of remembrance and a stance towards totalitarian systems,” said the Prime Minister.

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This year’s official commemoration of the victims of the Ustaša concentration camp Jasenovac takes place in the shadow of a boycott by official representatives of the Jewish minority. The President of the Jewish Community of Zagreb and the Coordination of Jewish Communities in Croatia, Ognjen Kraus, emphasized at the commemoration on Sunday that the Government and the Croatian Parliament must adhere to the Croatian Constitution, specifically that the salute “For Home Ready” is unconstitutional.