ETHNIC ITALIANS WON'T TAKE PART IN ELECTION FOR MINORITIES' COUNCILS

PULA, April 25 (Hina) - An MP and the president of the Committee for Human Rights and National Minorities, Furio Radin, on Friday assessed in Pula that members of minorities were confused with the Croatian government's actions regarding the election of national minority councils in local and regional government units, scheduled for May 18, and that the responsibility for the success of the ballot lay entirely with the government. #L# Radin told a press conference that the Italian Union would not participate in the election because ethnic Italians believed they were organise shabbily and the campaign period was too short and minority representatives could not have possibly prepared themselves properly. According to Radin, the government called for the election without even discussing the matter in the Sabor and in this way proved that the government was only interested in the formal aspect of national minority right protection. "The government is entirely responsible for the success of these elections. It should have proposed the matter to the Sabor or sought advice from the Committee for Human Rights and National Minority Rights," Radin said. (hina) sp ms sb