Citizens Have the Right to Say their Opinion on NATO Membership

23 March 2007

Provoked by the recent statements by the Speaker of the Sabor (Croatian Parliament) and the Prime Minister that the Government doesn�t plan to call for a referendum on Croatian entry into the NATO alliance, as well as the general communication strategy adopted by the Government on that issue, the Peace Studies Centre and Peace, Non-Violence and Human Rights Centre from Osijek prepared an open letter to Croatian political leadership.

In the open letter, the NGOs that endorsed it expressed their concerns over the fact that the Government never opened a public dialogue with the citizens on country�s entry into NATO, in spite of the prolonged period of activities dedicated to facilitate that entry.

Also, NGOs accuse the Government of never reporting on the costs of such activities, the fact that in never worked on development of alternative to NATO membership. In their view, the Government�s campaign is aimed at propagandist promotion of Croatia�s NATO membership and not to communicate its benefits and defects to the citizens.

�That is a strategy of propaganda, not of impartial and objective information and communication. Furthermore, we learn from the statements of Government officials that it doesn�t even intend to discuss the possible negative aspects of NATO membership�, says the open letter.

The signatory organizations believe that the Government should prepare, as soon as possible, and present to the citizens complete, correct information about costs and benefits of the NATO membership, through a proper communication strategy. Also, after the full implementation of such a communication strategy, the Government and the Sabor should call for a referendum, in accordance with Article 86 of the Constitution.

�We call on the Sabor, the President of the Republic, the Government and political parties to demonstrate that governing power truly belongs to the people and comes from the people and that citizens are entitled to say their opinion on an issue of such great importance. The institutions will only then prove that they believe in the competence of the citizens to make such big decisions, strengthening the trust and confidence between citizens and their elected representatives�, say the NGOs in the open letter.

Acting in good faith, NGOs refrained from coming out in public with their objections on this issue. However, since the Government failed to act on its duty and responsibility to inform the citizens, the organizations will start a series of public appearances with critical views of information and positions offered by the Government; prepare its own set of information on NATO membership; invite the citizens to openly express their disagreement with the way the Government treats its citizens.

Finally, should the Government, Sabor and the President refuse to call for a referendum, the signatories will reconsider the possibility to start a petition for a referendum to be organized on NATO membership.

The open letter is signed by 33 NGOs from all parts of Croatia. (For the full text of the letter and the list of signatories, please visit this link).