TWO HDZ MP'S JOIN HIP PARTY

ZAGREB, Aug 26 (Hina) - Ante Beljo and Dario Vukic, parliamentary deputies and long-standing members of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), have gone over to the Croatian True Revival (HIP) party and will remain in parliament as HIP deputies until the end of their mandates. #L# The two officials said at a news conference on Tuesday that the reason for their changing the party was disagreement with HDZ president Ivo Sanader's policy and lack of vision and democracy in the party. They also said that they saw in the HIP what was no longer present in the HDZ - the possibility to realise political principles defined by the HDZ's founder, Franjo Tudjman. Asked to comment on reports that some 300 HIP members in Zadar had recently joined the HDZ, party leader Miroslav Tudjman said this was media misinformation and that only a dozen HIP members had joined the HDZ. (hina) rml