PARTY CHIEF: SDP WILL WIN NEXT ELECTIONS

ZAGREB, May 8 (Hina) - Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Ivica Racan told the party's ninth convention in Zagreb on Saturday that the SDP would win next parliamentary elections but that it should muster strength for changes within its own ranks in order to achieve this goal.#L# Racan called on party members to make preparations for local elections next year. Recalling that the convention's slogan was "Force for Change", Racan called on party officials to dedicate more efforts to party activities and contacts with citizens, which he said they had neglected while the SDP was in power. He said that he had recently received many anonymous warnings about the conduct of some prominent SDP members. "I am being asked to intervene or fire people who have abandoned the fundamental SDP principle of honesty and performance of public duties to the benefit of the public, but in a democratic party people are not appointed or removed from office by the will of one man," Racan said. Commenting on the last four years when an SDP-led coalition was in power, Racan said he was proud of what his party had done in that period. The centre-left coalition was sometimes hostage to its internal relations, and that's why it sometimes did not know how to defend its results and consequently it lost voters' support, he added. The coalition, however, set up new standards in Croatian political life from which no future government will be able depart, the SDP chief said. "We have forced our opponents to change at least verbally," Racan said, adding that the SDP was waiting for the ruling party, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), to prove by deeds the views it was promoting verbally. "Until we see that, we shall be sceptical, nice gestures and lip service to tolerance are not sufficient," he said. Racan assessed that "the time of ideological wars between parties and their leaders is over". The convention continued with debates on amendments to the party's statute. (Hina) ms