SANADER RESPONSIBLE FOR PHYSICAL ATTACK ON SDP CANDIDATES - RACAN

VELIKA GORICA, Nov 9 (Hina) - Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Ivica Racan on Sunday pointed the finger at the president of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), Ivo Sanader, saying he was responsible for today's physical attacks on SDP candidates in Imotski. #L# Racan told reporters at an SDP election rally in Velika Gorica that the party's candidates Slavko Linic and Marin Jurjevic had not only eggs thrown at them, but glasses as well. He added Linic left the scene of the accident with a bloody head and that the attackers were prevented from injuring him with an ashtray. Racan said the attackers had been spurred by "Sanader's speech yesterday, when he labelled the SDP candidates as people who were coming to destroy Split and Dalmatia". Racan said the HDZ was resorting to action, as well as words, to show voters between what they could choose at parliamentary elections later this month. "They can choose between a party advocating democratic dialogue, coexistence and tolerance, and those who don't allow tolerance but resort to physical violence to mercilessly square accounts with political adversaries." Racan said such attacks would not stop the SDP, and called on citizens to go to the polls. (hina) ha