THREE FORMERLY HIGHLY POSITIONED HDZ OFFICIALS JOIN HND PARTY

ZAGREB, Nov 7 (Hina) - Three until recently prominent members of the strongest opposition party, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), including one MP, on Tuesday joined the ranks of the Croatian Independent Democrats (HND) party. Independent deputy Zlatko Canjuga, ousted from HDZ not long ago for advocating factionalism within the party, told today's news conference he decided to join HND since he could not act effectively as an independent MP. Asked if he had been asked to join the initiative for the establishment of a new party of former minister Andrija Hebrang and late head of state Franjo Tudjman's son Miroslav, Canjuga answered in the negative. Former Agriculture Minister Ivica Gazi said he saw in HND "the core which will pool democratic forces and processes in Croatia." HND's third new member, former transport and communications minister Zeljko Luzavec, failed to attend today's press conference. HND president Josip Manolic said he talked to another ten HDZ deputies about the possibility of their joining the new party, among whom were former parliamentary speaker Vlatko Pavletic and former prime minister Nikica Valentic. Manolic mentioned emotional ties, saying they found it hard to part from HDZ, whereas some thought effective political activity as independent deputies was possible. Opposition in Croatia is impotent and HND wants all democratic forces to come together and build a political alternative to the ruling structure, said Manolic. Even though Croatia is gripped by a crisis, HND does not want to subvert the incumbent government, since for the time being it does not have an alternative, he added. HND was established in 1994 by then ruling HDZ dissidents Manolic and incumbent head of state Stipe Mesic, who did not stay in the party long. (hina) ha jn