CROATIAN RULING PARTIES' LEADERS MEET TO SETTLE LATEST DISPUTE

ZAGREB, June 22 (Hina) - Leaders of the five ruling parties on Saturday morning began a meeting in the Croatian government's offices in Zagreb to try "settle a dispute" which recently broke out when some members of the ruling five-party coalition failed to support the government's motion at a parliamentary session. The latest dispute is in relation to different standpoints on whether companies, based on the island of Krk, should pay toll for the bridge connecting this biggest island with the mainland. The strife was deepened last week when some ruling parties mentioned the probability of early elections. During Saturday's meeting, the five parties' leaders should settle the conflict, and define an effective model for overcoming frequent disagreements. Prior to this dispute, the coalition was gravely shaken by another conflict in March, but the five parties - the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS), the Croatian People's Party (HNS), the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) and the Liberal party (LS) - managed to overcome the most serious crisis since the set-up of their coalition, and they remained together. (hina) ms