Due to Irresponsibility of Defence Minister, General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces Forced to Cancel Ranks Awarding to Cadets
Today, Thursday, 27 October, a second lieutenant ranks awarding ceremony for 15th and 16th generation cadets of the Military Engineering and Military Leadership and Management of the “Predrag Matanović” Cadet Battalion was scheduled at the “Dr. Franjo Tuđman Croatian Defence Academy”. Due to the inertness and irresponsibility of Defence Minister Mario Banožić, the ranks awarding ceremony scheduled for today was cancelled. The General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces was forced to cancel the ranks awarding ceremony because Defence Minister Mario Banožić, without any explanation or reason whatsoever, waited 15 days to send the proposal for the awarding of ranks to be signed by the President of the Republic.
The Croatian Defence Academy sent a letter to the Defence Minister with the proposal for awarding officer’s ranks on 11 October, but the Defence Minister sent the proposal to be signed by the President of the Republic just yesterday, Wednesday, 26 October. First thing this morning the President of the Republic signed the proposal for awarding the ranks – therefore, in a timeline shorter than 24 hours since the time the proposal was received in the Office of the President – and the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces was immediately informed about it.
Why did it take Defence Minister Mario Banožić 15 days to sign the proposal for awarding the ranks? He will have to explain since it’s not the first time. Such inertness and insolence of the Minister has once again confirmed that he isn’t worthy of carrying out the duty of Defence Minister because his behaviour harms the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces. Minister Banožić has time for his party companion whom he unlawfully shoved into the War College, but has no time to care for honourable and valuable members of the CAF who gained rank only with their knowledge, dedication and efforts. In this case the Defence Minister denigrated and offended CAF members as well as their families who were invited to the ranks awarding ceremony.