BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 4764 HINA Zagreb, 6 October 2002

HR-POLITICS-Politika BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 4764 HINA Zagreb, 6 October 2002 CROATIA TO MARK INDEPENDENCE DAY ON TUESDAYZAGREB, Oct 6 (Hina) - On Tuesday, October 8, Croatia will mark Independence Day for the first time. The day was included in the calendar of national holidays for the first time last year to mark a decision adopted by the Croatian parliament on October 8, 1991, to sever state and legal relations with the former Yugoslav federation. Although important, this date was not marked over the past years. It was only with the changes to the calendar of state holidays, initiated last year by Ivo Skrabalo, at the time a Social Liberal, that the parliament decided that October 8 should be celebrated as Independence Day. Since the new calendar of national holidays was voted as late as autumn, Croatia marks Independence Day for the first time this October 8. Events which had taken place before October 8 eleven years ago were very dramatic for Croatia. The Serbian aggres