EX-HDZ VICE-PRESIDENTS URGE FORMER MEMBERS TO UNITE

ZAGREB, June 18 (Hina) - Josip Manolic and two other former vice- presidents of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), elected at the party's first assembly in 1989, on Wednesday sent a public appeal to breakaway parties and all former party members to democratise and unify their parties and return to the HDZ's original principles. #L# Manolic told reporters today that five parties -- the Croatian Independent Democrats, the Democratic Centre, the Croatian True Revival, the Croatian Bloc and the Croatian Democratic Union, as well as a large number of former HDZ members who were no longer politically active, belonged to "the large HDZ family" and had to unite because they had the same programmes, despite differences in opinion regarding some issues. He believes that all said parties should run in the coming parliamentary elections together, otherwise small parties "from the HDZ family" would win around 15 percent of the vote of the HDZ electorate and prevent the HDZ from coming into power and forming a government. "HDZ president Ivo Sanader's estimate that the HDZ is self- sufficient is unrealistic because he forgets that those parties have the same electorate," he said. (hina) lml