MESIC ATTENDS SPLIT CITY COUNCIL SESSION

SPLIT, May 6 (Hina) - The southern Adriatic city of Split marked the day of its patron saint Duje with a special session of the city council, which was attended by President Stipe Mesic. "Today's session is historic, as for the first time in Split's 1,700-year history a President of State is attending," said Ivo Simunovic, the president of the city council. A minor incident occurred during the session when a councillor of the opposition's Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), Duje Marasovic, demanded after Simonic's address that Mesic apologise for a statement he made in Split during yesterday's anniversary celebration of the Croatian Armed Forces Fourth Brigade. Mesic had described the insults hurled at him by the Brigade's retired members and relatives of its killed members as racist and fascist. Marasovic and another HDZ councillor left the city council session, while Ivo Milat of the ruling coalition's Social Democratic Party apologised to the President, describing the HDZ councillors' conduct as "very uncivilised." President Mesic wished a happy St. Duje Day, advocating putting an end to "the excessive social disintegration, and full legal security for all citizens, regardless of religion or nationality." Mesic was confident the summer tourist season would give a substantial impetus to the economic revival of Split and the Dalmatia region. Split's biggest issue, namely traffic isolation, "will be dealt with gradually and properly in the near future," he said. (hina) ha