SERB MP ANNOUNCES TALKS WITH SANADER

ZAGREB, Nov 27 (Hina) - Three future MPs of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) should meet with Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) leader Ivo Sanader to address the formation of the new government later today, one of them, Milorad Pupovac, told reporters on Thursday. #L# He dismissed speculation that in the Ivo Sanader cabinet the SDSS would insist on, seek or accept a ministerial seat. Pupovac also dismissed journalists' claims that the SDSS made its support to Sanader conditional on the entry of the Croatian People's Party into the government. The condition for the support is that Sanader seek his coalition partners in the left and not the right wing, Pupovac said. "The SDSS believes that a stable, pro-European, credible government Sanader can form has to shift, expand centre-left and not to the right." "If Sanader starts negotiations with left-wing parties, he may count on the SDSS' support to those negotiations," he said. Asked which political parties he was referring to, Pupovac said there were several of them, but not the Social Democrats, which he said had devastated the left-wing. He added it was not up to the SDSS to tell Sanader which centre-left parties to hold talks with. As for an HDZ coalition with the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS), Pupovac said the HSS had been part of the outgoing leftist government so there was no reason for it not to be part of Sanader's cabinet. Asked if the SDSS would endorse a government including the Croatian Party of Rights, Pupovac said his party could not support a cabinet with people who "said in their election platforms that Serbs should be prevented from returning" to their pre-war homes. "The SDSS' support to Sanader's cabinet and in parliament will depend on their actions and not speeches because we don't trust anyone on their word alone." (hina) ha sb