CROATIAN DEMOCRATIC UNION ENDS FIFTH GENERAL CONVENTION

ZAGREB, May 1 (Hina) - The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) ended its two-day fifth general convention in Zagreb on Sunday with the election of Maja Freundlich as HDZ's deputy president, five party presidency members, and 25 National Committee members. The newly elected HDZ presidency consists of Anto Bagaric, Andjelko Herjavec, Ivan Suker, Nevio Setic, and Branimir Luksic. Over the past two days, the delegates of Croatia's largest Opposition party elected Ivo Sanader as president, a new leadership for the next two years, and adopted a new statute and programme declaration. Discussing HDZ's poor results at January's parliamentary elections and intra-party conflicts, most delegates agreed the party's future lay in unity and that numerous factors outside the party were the cause of the defeat. Among the "culprits" were the media, which according to the party had circulated a bad image of the HDZ, the international community, the communists, non-governmental organisations, and the new government, which according to the HDZ had won the voters' trust on false promises. Most delegates agreed electoral lists and those who headed them had not significantly affected the electoral failure. There were also those who said the party's former leadership was responsible for the poor situation in the party. There is too much nepotism and too little democracy in the HDZ, they said. This minority, headed by presidential candidate Branimir Glavas, had urged calling the former presidency to account and clearing the many scandals in connection with the party and certain members, but it did not happen. HDZ's new president Ivo Sanader asserted the party's fifth general convention was a watershed which marked the end of the party's crisis. He called the party to unity and reconciliation, announcing he would continue along the path of former HDZ president, the late Franjo Tudjman. (hina) ha