THREE CANDIDATES RUN FOR PRESIDENT OF SOCIAL LIBERAL PARTY

ZAGREB, Jan 17 (Hina) - The Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) is holding an election assembly on Saturday at which 932 delegates will choose the party president among three candidates who said that if elected, they would restore the party's credibility and the constituents' confidence, and build the HSLS on the principles of liberalism and centrist politics.#L# The acting party president and Varazdin mayor, Ivan Cehok, the leader of the HSLS Medjimurje County branch and Mursko Sredisce mayor, Drazen Breglec, and the vice president of the party's Karlovac County branch, Marija Ficurin, announced intensive activities aimed at consolidating the party and raising citizens' awareness that Croatia needed a strong liberal party more than ever. Cehok said the HSLS would welcome all former members if they accepted the party's statute and platform, but added that he was against the unification of the three existing liberal parties. "We don't need to unite with those who are worn out or support the (Social Democrats)." Breglec said the current party leadership had abandoned liberal politics and that this was the cause of the party's poor rating at November's parliamentary elections. He announced that if elected, he would reopen negotiations with the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) so that the HSLS could get a ministerial seat. "We need to insist less on leadership and more on the party's unity," said Ficurin. During today's debate, HSLS delegates said the party was ruled by factions. Some criticised the current leadership for having obstructed the will of the party's members to join the coalition government with the HDZ and for openly supporting Cehok's candidacy. There was a proposal to name Drazen Budisa honorary president. Eleven candidates are running for four posts of party vice-president. (Hina) ha