SPLIT-DALMATIA COUNTY PREFECT RELIEVED OF DUTY

SPLIT, June 26 (Hina) - Split-Dalmatia County Prefect Branimir Luksic was relieved of duty at Thursday's county assembly session. Kruno Peronja was elected to take his place. #L# Thirty-nine of the 48 present councillors voted to replace Luksic, two were against and two abstained, while five refrained from voting. A councillor of the Croatian Bloc and one of the Croatian Democratic Union, which make up the ruling coalition with several minor parties, voted against Luksic's replacement. Luksic told the councillors that the vote completed transactions surrounding his replacement and the giving out of promised seats. "I have held up my promise to voters by not resigning and I am glad the HDZ and the SDP set a precedent by going against me together. Whether this is a vision of cooperation at the state level remains to be seen," he said. Luksic added that this cooperation did not hurt as much as the fact that he was voted against by people with whom he had magnificently won the last county elections. The HDZ requested Luksic's dismissal due to his failure to cooperate with the party and for ignoring its leadership. In February, the party initiated disciplinary proceedings against Luksic and they have not been completed yet. In the meantime, he withdrew from the HDZ. (hina) lml sb