PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MESIC IN SPLIT

SPLIT, Jan 28 (Hina) - Presidential candidate Stipe Mesic on Friday continued his campaign in the southern coastalcity of Split for the second round of the presidential election run off. He visited the "Brodosplit" ship building yard and the "Ilova" strikers. He toured the Association of Croatian Share-holders and the drug addiction commune in Ugljan run by Sister Elvira. During talks with the director of "Brodosplit", Vinko Rosic, and union representatives, Mesic pointed out his support to preserve Croatia's ship building industry claiming that "they who said that Croatia didn't need ship building are no longer in government". The new government, he said, will have an ear for that which will bring prosperity and that includes ship building, tourism, agriculture, customs free zones on the islands. "We are now turning a new page of Croatian history and the Sabor as the highest authority in government, the Government and president of the country will stand firm in preserving any healthy section of the economy". "I have no desire of being of president of commands but rather a president of initiative and motivation. The electoral victors have ensured the functioning of the Sabor however, we also need a good opposition that will watch over the work of the highest government bodies", he said. Following a one hour meeting in the union offices of "Ilova" six strikers accepted Mesic's support and on the eighth day decided to temporarily break their hunger strike despite the fact that their employer cancelled a meeting with them scheduled for today. Mesic said that this too only went to show that this was not a just state as well as being the result of a deformed transformation of ownership and privatisation. Speaking with representatives of small stock holders, Mesic emphasised that aggressive employment policies were necessary to enable foreign investment. The incorrect method of privatisation is the cause for the difficulties facing small share holders and it will be necessary for the new government to change privatisation legislation and to bring charges against those who abused legal regulation. Asked by journalists about "Slobodna Dalmacija", Mesic said that he did not have any gripe against the editor-in-chief (Josip Jovic) who was only "small fry" as he was well aware that the entire episode was being backed by intelligence services that were offended by Mesic's remarks that he would clean the situation in intelligence services and put them under government control. Mesic said all displaced persons had to be able to return to their homes. This means that not only Serbs should be allowed to return to Croatia but Croats to Bosnia and wherever they were banished from. The war was not caused by ordinary people but by Slobodan Milosevic who wanted a greater Serbia and he must be taken to The Hague first, Mesic said. The Association of Share Holders and the Croatian Association of Unions said they would support Mesic because he "was most specific about the abolition of illegal transformation of ownership and the need to try those who looted the country". (hina) sp