MEETING OF LEADERS OF RULING COALITION STARTS

ZAGREB, Aug 22 (Hina) - The heads of Croatia's ruling six-party coalition met at the government building in Zagreb's St. Mark's square at Tuesday noon to discuss all cases which during the summer burdened relations between the parties, particularly the case of general Petar Stipetic. Attending the meeting are presidents of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS), Croatian People's Party (HNS), and the Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS), Ivica Racan, Drazen Budisa, Zlatko Tomcic, Vesna Pusic and Ivan Jakovcic, as well as the acting president of the Liberal Party (LS), Zlatko Kramaric. The meeting will focus on statements by the party leaders regarding the Stipetic case and on who was right - President Stipe Mesic and Prime Minister Ivica Racan, who claim general Stipetic was not mentioned at their meeting with the chief prosecutor of The Hague- based war crimes tribunal, or Drazen Budisa, who claims Racan has admitted to him that Stipetic was mentioned at the talks with Carla del Ponte. Sabor Speaker Zlatko Tomcic said yesterday he believed the meeting would help establish which information on Stipetic was true and that those who had possibly misinterpreted the case would admit to their mistake. (hina) rml