HDZ'S GRANIC HOLDS PRESIDENTIAL PRE-ELECTORAL RALLY IN DURBOVNIK

DUBROVNIK, Jan 8 (Hina) - Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) presidential candidate Mate Granic on Saturday held a pre- electoral rally in the southern port of Dubrovnik under the slogan "A Man With Strength for the New Age". Granic said he was running for president because he believed he had a vision of Croatia for the 21st century, and that he would pay special attention to care for invalids, veterans, widows, and all war victims. Speaking about Croatia's recent past, Granic conceded that despite all of HDZ's good moves there remained the fact that control mechanisms had failed, leading to omissions and scandals. In a law- based state control mechanisms must function, he asserted. Granic stated he had a clear vision of what Croatia as a modern democratic and law-based state must at once do on the international level to attract foreign investment. The priorities are political and economic integration with Europe, access to NATO's Partnership for Peace programme, and the development of good neighbourly relations, with Bosnia- Herzegovina in particular, Granic said. The president of Croatia is the man who represents it in the world, he asserted, adding he advocated parliamentary democracy, namely that all parliamentary parties agree by consensus on what the authorities of the Croatian president should be. Granic said that if he were elected, he would simplify the president's office and be close to the people. (hina) ha