NEW ZAGREB CITY LEADERSHIP ELECTED

ZAGREB, April 4 (Hina) - The Zagreb City Assembly on Thursday elected new members of the city leadership with a majority of votes. Milan Bandic of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Stipe Tojcic of the Croatian People's Party (HNS) were elected deputies to mayor Vlasta Pavic, who nominated them in line with an agreement between the SDP and the HNS, the parties which make up the city's ruling coalition. #L# Demonstrating their dissatisfaction, opposition councillors from the Croatian Bloc (Croatian Democratic Union, Croatian Party of Rights, Croatian Pure Party of Rights) and the Croatian True Revival party (HIP) did not raise regular voting banners but banners which read "Stop the circus". These councillors criticised the main protagonists of the recent city coalition crisis and expressed doubt with regard to the successful continuation of the coalition's work. HNS city councillor Vesna Pusic apologised to all Zagreb residents for the delays and crisis during which the city could not operate "at full speed". We must pitch in together now, she added. Addressing councillors at the end of today's session, resigned City Assembly president Velimir Srica said that he had tried to tender his resignation on several previous occasions and that his irrevocable resignation of today was a moral act. He added that he was not submitting it because of what he did but because of what he failed to do. "I wanted to promote the idea of sacrifice for the common well- being, the idea of installing in institutions of authority non- partisan personnel... however, after more than six months I accomplished very little," he said, adding that he considered his resignation a personal defeat. Srica's resignation takes effect at the next session of the City Assembly on April 25. (hina) sb rml