HDZ SPOKESMAN IVICA ROPUS RESIGNS

ZAGREB, Jan 10 (Hina) - Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) spokesman Ivica Ropus on Monday resigned his position because, as he said, he believed that not even minimal conditions existed for his cooperation with the acting party president Vladimir Seks. In a statement issued today, Ropus said his views as to how the party should be presented to the public were completely different from the methods which were being applied by Seks, who was "not interpreting conclusions and decisions of the HDZ Presidency in an authentic and true manner." Ropus added he would not "comment on all reasons for the resignation or enter debates with some party officials during the pre-election campaign of the HDZ presidential candidate Mate Granic." According to Ropus, it was at the last session of the party presidency that the acting HDZ president Vladimir Seks had informed members of the Presidency that, given the new circumstances in the party and the fact that he was its acting head, he no longer needed the services of a spokesman and intended to perform his duties as the party president and spokesman by himself. In a debate that ensued, all Presidency members, except for secretary-general Drago Krpina, rejected Seks's proposal, describing it as politically unclear and detrimental, especially because of the current presidential campaign, Ropus said. (hina) mm rml .