(17 Nov 1996) Eng/Serbo-Croat/Nat
Croatian President Franjo Tudjman is in fine health, say Croat officials in the U-S and back home in Croatia.
That's despite reports he's got stomach cancer.
No-one's denying that Tudjman's in a top U-S military hospital for treatment.
If Tudjman was seriously ill, it could affect the peace process in the Balkans; he's one of the key players there.
But his officials say 74-year-old Tudjman's doing just fine, carrying out his duties, and should be home next week.
Has Tudjman got some form of stomach cancer, or is he suffering from something less serious?
Croatian government officials in Washington D-C weren't saying very much on Saturday.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
\"Ambassador Miomir Zuzul visited the president today. And I'm very happy to say that the president feels well, and that he continues to perform his duties. That's all I have for you at the moment thank you.\"
SUPER CAPTION: Marijan Gubic, Croatian Embassy Spokesman
U-S officials have said that Tudjman was admitted to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington on Monday -- and remains hospitalized.
Opponents of President Tudjman warned Saturday that his possible departure from a political scene he now dominates could throw Croatia and Bosnia into turmoil.
Croatian opposition leaders gathered Saturday in Zagreb to discuss the crisis brought about by President Franjo Tudjman's deteriorating health.
Tudjman's Croatian doctors aren't calling it cancer.
They say Tudjman is suffering from a gastric ulcer and inflamed lymph nodes but that he's feeling well, carrying out his duties, and should be back in Zagreb next week.
Zvonimir Separovic, a former Croatian Foreign Minister, dismissed the government's medical reports.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
\"He is seriously sick and manipulation by Croatian TV and media were trying to minimise his trouble. It's actually wrong. Again, we are in trouble with our media.\"
SUPER CAPTION: Zvonimir Separovic, former Croatian Foreign Minister
Tudjman is a key player in the Balkans and was one of three regional leaders to sign the Dayton accord that has brought a fragile peace to Bosnia.
Any weakening of his political standing could unsettle Bosnia, particularly its shaky federation of Muslims and Croats, which Tudjman has supported under pressure from Washington.
Stjepan Mesic, ex-President of former Yugoslavia and now opposition leader, was also at the meeting.
SOUNDBITE: (Serbo-Croat)
\"The event will seriously affect Croatia and Bosnia. Difficulties will arise because all the power in Croatia is concentrated in the hands of one man and he did not create a mechanism for division of power.\"
SUPER CAPTION: Stjepan Mesic, President of the Croatian Independent Democrats -- Opposition Party
Vlado Gotovac, leader of the opposition Croatian Social Liberal Party, is the Presidential candidate with the best chance of beating Tudjman in next summer's elections.
He was also worried about the way Tudjman's succession would be carried out.
SOUNDBITE: (Serbo-Croat)
\"Since H-D-Z (Tudjman's party) is not a proper party but a movement, even as we speak there is a struggle going on as to who is going to succeed him and who is going to rule further, regardless whether temporarily or for a longer period of time.\"
SUPER CAPTION: Vlado Gotovac, leader of Croatian Social Liberal Party
Tudjman is a popular President.
He managed to avoid international sanctions even though he promoted much the same separatist concepts in Bosnia as Serbian President Milosevic.
SOUNDBITE: (Serbo-Croat)
A: For worse.\"
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