4TH ANNIVERSARY OF TUDJMAN'S DEATH COMMEMORATED BY UHIP SOCIETY

ZAGREB, Dec 9 (Hina) - The Society for Promotion of the Croatian Identity and Prosperity (UHIP) on Tuesday evening held a commemorative meeting in tribute to the first Croatian President, Franjo Tudjman, who died four years ago. #L# Present at the commemoration, held in Zagreb's Old City Hall, were the Tudjman family and admirers of the late president. Speaking about Tudjman's role in Croatia's struggle for independence and defence and his influence on the contemporary politics, Tudjman's son Miroslav said his father should be given the biggest credit for Croatia's independence and international recognition. Miroslav Tudjman slammed the outgoing coalition government for launching "a negative process of de-tudjmanisation" through which it "vilified Tudjman's merits, criminalised the Homeland Defence War and veterans and undermined the national interests." He also accused the Ivica Racan cabinet of using Bolshevik methods and "currying favour with the foreign power-mongers". Miroslav Tudjman said he was glad to see that the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), the party which his father had founded, had won the November parliamentary elections. He, however, criticised the current leadership of the HDZ of having dismissed plans for forming a broad right coalition which would have enabled a formation of the firm government. According to Miroslav Tudjman, instead of the real victory of the right option at the polls, the HDZ has been given only an opportunity to form a government together with those with whom it did not agree while the party was in the opposition. "I welcome the change in power, but I am afraid of uncertainty and how much the new government will be strong and how long it will remain in power," he added. A journalist, Ivan Bekavac, and the head of the Ivo Pilar institute, Vlado Sakic, held speeches, too. (hina) ms sb