SOME LEADERS OF SIX-PARTY COALITION HOLD MEETING

ZAGREB, April 3 (Hina) - Leaders of parties that make up the ruling six-party coalition in Croatia, on Tuesday held a meeting, but decided to define some common attitudes on certain bills at the next meeting, given that this morning not all of them were present. According to some reports, absent were Zlatko Kramaric, (Liberal Party or LP), and Drazen Budisa (Croatian Social and Liberal Party or HSLS) who had to leave the meeting at the very beginning. After the meeting, Zlatko Tomcic, the president of the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS), briefly told reporters that these were just routine talks. This morning the leaders of the six parties (HSS, HSLS, LS, SDP HNS and IDS) should have agreed on a bill on the Croatian National Bank (HNB), after last week HSS parliamentarians in the Sabor submitted many amendments to that draft act, which the Government refused. Consequently, HSS representatives, who are in favour of the greater control of the Sabor over the central bank, walked out of the parliament hall in protest last Friday. The leaders of the six ruling parties also gathered yesterday to discuss draft bills on local elections and on the prevention of the conflict of interest in filling the public office. Some MPs of these six parties, in particular HSLS representatives, objected much to some parts of the latter bill. The coalition leaders agreed yesterday that this draft act be accepted but bound the government to change the text substantially until the second reading or draw up a completely new one. (hina) ms