ARROGANCE NO LONGER LIVES IN HDZ -- SANADER

ZAGREB, June 17 (Hina) - President of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) Ivo Sanader said today the party's skeleton remains to be the policy of protecting and promoting national and state interests, opening up the HDZ to the challenges of the new era, and finding solutions for removing the deep economic crisis. "We relay to the Croatian public that arrogance no longer lives in the HDZ," Sanader said at the sixth general informative party assembly today. Sanader called on all parties not to prevent coalitions with the HDZ nor to attempt to oust the HDZ, being the biggest group of Croatian citizens, from authority by isolation. Commenting on the current government authorities, Sanader claimed it did nothing to solve the economic and social problems in the country, as the average Croatian family is living worse than it did before the new government came into power last year. In a short period of time this authority managed to divide this country with political tensions, and awake economic and social problems, Sanader stressed. In his introductory speech the party president recalled that twelve years ago to the date, the HDZ was established. The founder, late president Franjo Tudjman, is no longer among us physically, but his thought and idea remains in the HDZ, Sanader stressed. (hina) lml