Greek National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis expressed doubt Saturday that recently renewed warfare in Krajina would be contained, criticising as "weak" the responses of international organisations and nations against a Croatian offensive.
"We are against a military solution to problems in the former Yugoslavia. Unfortunately, as the situation stands, the weapons now have the say", the Greek defence minister said. He made the statement after a meeting with Hellenic Armed Forces Joint Chief of Staff, Adm. Christos Limberis.
Mr. Arsenis and Adm. Limberis held urgent consultations Saturday to review the situation after Friday's full-scale Croatian attack on Croatian Serb positions. Greek Defence Ministry sources said Mr. Arsenis was continuously informing Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, currently vacationing in Crete.
The Hellenic Armed Forces chief said Croatian forces were attacking Serb targets in the eastern and western parts of the Krajina region. Mr. Arsenis said 20 Greek officers participating as UN observers were not at risk, adding he was in contact with his NATO counterparts.
He said the crisis would be discussed at a meeting of the Defence Council today. Mr. Arsenis was also in contact Saturday with main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert. ND issued an announcement Saturday urging the government to commence peace initiatives in a bid to end hostilities in the former Yugoslavia. "Greece should prove that it is indeed a Balkan power by taking action and promoting initiatives", the ND statement said.
The opposition called on the premier and foreign minister to cut short their summer holidays and return to Athens to assist in Bosnian peace mediation efforts. "By enjoying their summer holidays, they are provocatively avoiding mediation efforts", the statement said.
Former prime minister and New Democracy Honorary President Constantine Mitsotakis also voiced concern over developments in Krajina and lashed out at the government for refraining to begin peace initiatives.
"As the winds of war in Bosnia intensify, the government is off on vacation, inert and unable to respond", Mr. Mitsotakis said in Crete. He also criticised the government's lagging economy, saying radical institutional changes were needed.
Commenting on developments in Krajina, Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras on Saturday made the following statement: "I must state that as long as the non-Balkan nations' policy remains contradictory and superficial, the harder it will be for peace to be established in the region".
Mr. Samaras added that non-Balkan states acknowledge the fact that the Serbs are not responsible for the spreading of war "but, despite that, continue to fire exclusively against Serbian positions. "It is said", he added, "that the government publicly admits its weakness to intervene in a diplomatic way, but merely follows developments".
Meanwhile, Communist Party of Greece (KKE) politburo member Orestis Kolozov called on the government yesterday to stand against an "imperialist" conspiracy that has exacerbated the situation in the former Yugoslavia.
"The situation that has been created is the result of American and German imperialists, who have imposed a solution most beneficial to their interests with the use of weapons, while defying the repercussions of a military solution for the people of the region - the Serbs, Croats and Moslems", Mr. Kolozov said.
"The government should differentiate its position from this conspiracy of imperialists and condemn it", he added. The coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) party urged the government to take an active role in initiatives aimed at establishing peace in the region, "while avoiding a direct or indirect military involvement in the advancing crisis".
Ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) party Secretary Akis Tsohatzopoulos yesterday stressed the need for intervention of the party's pertinent committees with regard to statements made by PASOK deputy Kyriakos Spyriounis.
Mr. Spyriounis, a retired general, was called to appear before PASOK's established practice committee for statements he made against Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, urging the premier to step down from party leadership.
Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said freedom to state personal opinions was a necessity in PASOK, but said Mr. Spyriounis' statements "were in full contradiction with an ethical code, statutory principles and obligations which stand for all the party members".
Press Ministry Under-Secretary Telemahos Hytiris described the retired general's statements as "inappropriate" and "unacceptable", adding that Mr. Spyriounis "has to realise that he is a member and a member and a deputy of the party. "I don't know what the practice committee will do, but if I were a member I would exhaust all means available", he said.
In another development, Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Minister Costas Laliotis yesterday said principles of "collectiveness and solidarity should prevail in the post-Papandreou era.
"It is clear that after the death of Giorgos Yennimatas there is no charismatic leader to replace him to ensure the unity and prospects of PASOK", Mr. Laliotis said in an interview with the Sunday edition of "Eleftherotypia". "This distance (between the dauphins and the real leader) must be covered by two principles, collectiveness and solidarity", he added.
According to Mr. Laliotis, there will be no internal friction in PASOK when the time comes for succession of leadership, adding there should be changes in the party and government. "These changes must be drastic and should be associated with a co-ordinated effort in which PASOK will outclass itself in its drive to regenerate and reinvent itself", he said.
Asked whether he would advice the wife of the premier, Dimitra Lianni-Papandreou, to run for Parliament, Mr. Laliotis, said every citizen has that right. He said, however, he would advise Mrs. Papandreou to "keep away from the mundane maelstrom of political and party oppositions. She is in no need of a Parliamentary capacity".
In addition, Mr. Laliotis said he was completely opposed to statements by Mr. Spyriounis against Mr. Papandreou "since they express unacceptable hints against the founder of PASOK".
Meanwhile, main opposition New Democracy party Vice President Ioannis Varvitsiotis strongly criticised the government yesterday in an interview with the "Apogevmatini" newspaper, calling the government "incompetent" and "non-existent" and adding he foresaw elections in autumn 1996.