CROATIA'S PRESIDENT-ELECT TO BE INAUGURATED TODAY

ZAGREB, Feb 18 (Hina) - Croatia's President-elect Stjepan Mesic today takes oath and thus officially becomes the President of the Republic of Croatia. The inauguration ceremony takes place on St.Mark's Square in the downtown Zagreb where the Government's and parliamentary offices are located. Mesic succeeds the late President Franjo Tudjman who was elected to this office twice in 1992 and 1997. Mesic will formally be sworn in before the President of the Constitutional Court, Smiljko Sokol. He will pledge to carry out duties of the President of the Republic conscientiously and responsibly to the benefit of the Croatian people and all Croatian citizens. The new President will sign the text of the official oath but Mesic does not want to wear the presidential sash which the late President Tudjman used to put on. Mesic, aged 66, is lawyer. He is married with two children. Mesic has been present in the Croatian political life for several decades. The inauguration of the second Croatian President has attracted a great number of foreign senior officials. To date, the arrival of over 70 foreign delegations has been announced. There will be 12 Presidents of states and three prime ministers at the event. Croatia's public figures, politicians, celebrities and Mesic's aides and friends will also attend the ceremony. The second Croatian President was elected in the February 7 run-off ballot. He won 56 percent of the vote and while the other contestant of the second round of the presidential polls, Drazen Budisa, mustered 44 percent. The run-off ballot was conducted after no candidate of nine men who contested the January 24 election, won a majority vote. (hina) mm ms