PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE GRANIC ADDRESSES PUBLIC PANEL IN PULA

PULA, Jan 18 (Hina) - Addressing a public panel in the northern port of Pula on Tuesday, presidential candidate Mate Granic said he expects to win the voters' confidence because he believes they know he cannot let them down. "While other presidential candidates in recent years changed everything, including their positions, in the past nine years I have been, despite misunderstanding in my own ranks, persistent, consistent, responsible and serious in performing state tasks, and have worked on the creation of a democratic, modern, and European Croatia," Granic said. The whole civilised world and the world's leading officials have got to know me and my contribution to Croatia's affirmation, he asserted. Granic said Croatia's new president should be chosen by the people, and should be a factor of stability in all crisis situations, who will represent his country in a dignified manner. Granic said he would advocate Croatia as a law-based state in which there will be no political suitability, in which all will be equal before the law, and where business will not be based on politics, but competence, experience, and risk. He reminded he personally had not taken party in any privatisation process so far, pointing out he would advocate the influx of foreign capital which he said was crucial for stimuli in economy. Commenting on the position of Istria, Croatia's largest peninsula in the northern Adriatic, Granic said Istria represented Croatia's wealth, and not a problem. "Istria's specific qualities should be respected and nurtured, and that is part of my vision, of a democratic, tolerant and European Croatia," he said. He also reminded of Istria's great contribution during the Homeland War a decade ago, especially in providing accommodation for refugees and displaced persons. (hina) ha