IDS SATISFIED WITH ELECTION RESULTS IN ISTRIA

PULA, Jan 4 (Hina) - Representatives of the 'Opposition Four' coalition welcomed preliminary and unofficial election results at the coalition headquarters in Pula early on Tuesday morning. The "Opposition Four" coalition is made up of the Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS), Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS), Liberal Party (LS), Croatian People's Party (HNS), and the associate member, the Action of Social Democrats of Croatia (ASH). Commenting on the election results, IDS president and the bearer of the coalition roster Ivan Jakovcic congratulated his colleagues from the Social Democratic Party/Croatian Social Liberal Party (SDP/HSLS) coalition, adding he believed that "according to the preliminary and unofficial results, (the SDP/HSLS coalition) will be able to form a government solely from its own ranks." Jakovcic expressed satisfaction with election results in the largest Istrian city, Pula, where, according to him, 55 per cent of the electorate voted for the 'Opposition Four' coalition. "The HDZ has been decisively defeated at these elections and as of today this party is history on the Croatian political scene. The New Year has brought a different, more democratic, fair and just Croatian state," Jakovcic said. An IDS vice-president Damir Kajin expressed satisfaction with the results in Istria, adding, however, the IDS had expected better results in Rijeka. (hina) rml