ELECTORAL RESULT BASIC CRITERION IN DISTRIBUTION OF AUTHORITY - SAYS TOMCIC

ZAGREB, Jan 11 (Hina) - For Croatia's "Opposition Four" coalition, "the electoral results are the fundamental criterion in the distribution of authority between the parties which won (recent) parliamentary elections," Zlatko Tomcic, the president of the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS), said on Monday. "It is to be expected the SDP/HSLS coalition will propose a new government concept," Tomcic told the press in Zagreb in the break of a session of the "Opposition Four", which includes the HSS, the Liberal Party, the Croatian People's Party, and the Istrian Democratic Assembly. "Based on that concept, the 'Opposition Four' will be entitled to as many seats (in the House of Representatives) as it won at the (January 3) elections," said Tomcic. He stated it would be wise however if the stronger, Social Democratic Party/Croatian Social Liberal Party (SDP/HSLS) coalition bowed to the "Opposition Four", the weaker one, in order to achieve stability in parliament and the government. "That however is not an ultimatum, nor a condition," Tomcic stressed. The "Opposition Four" does not want to go public with its state duties distribution proposals before it reaches an agreement with the SDP/HSLS coalition. Tomcic announced a January 12 meeting of the "Opposition Six" coalition, which includes the parties making the "Opposition Four" and the SDP and the HSLS, would discuss various models of multi- party coalition functioning in parliament. The parties of the "Opposition Four" do not intend to insist on only one model, he stressed. Tomcic reiterated that for the "Opposition Four", "the fundamental goal is to capitalise on the electoral victory in the wisest way (...) by creating a stable parliamentary majority which will enable stable and long-term government functioning." (hina) ha