VUKOVAR MAYOR DISMISSES ACCUSATIONS BY SDP

VUKOVAR, Nov 11 (Hina) - Vukovar mayor Vladimir Stengl on Tuesday dismissed accusations in the press by the local branch of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) that he had deliberately denied the party permission to use a cinema as a venue for the presentation of its election platform. #L# Speaking at a press conference, Stengl said that there would have been no problem had the leader of the SDP Vukovar branch, Zeljko Sabo, followed regular procedure and submitted a written request for the use of the cinema in Vukovar's Borovo Naselje neighbourhood. "Sabo did not have the patience to file such a request and wait for the response. If the HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) could submit a request for the use of the car park outside the Dunav hotel, then the SDP could have done the same for the cinema," Stengl said, adding that the SDP was now trying to portray the whole affair as a political issue. Sabo said this was "a case of obstruction by the HDZ, of which Stengl is a member," adding that the HDZ feared the SDP would win the forthcoming election in Vukovar. Sabo said the denial of permission forced his party to organise an election rally in Zupanja this evening instead of Vukovar. (hina) vm