NDI: CROATIA HAS MADE MAJOR PROGRESS, MUST CONTINUE DEVELOPING DEMOCRACY

ZAGREB, Nov 15 (Hina) - Croatia has made a big step forward in the development of democracy and is now a country which can serve as a model of stability in the entire region, the president of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), Kenneth Wollack, said after meeting Croatian President Stipe Mesic in Zagreb on Wednesday. NDI is a Washington-based non-profit international organisation for the development and strengthening of democracy in the world. The topics the NDI delegation, led by Wollack, and President Mesic discussed included constitutional changes and the transfer of authority in Croatia. Wollack said it was unusual for persons in power to reduce their powers, because they usually concentrated them. NDI is proud to have supported the democratic transition of Croatia, a country which Wollack said now presented stability in the region. The NDI president believes that Croatia, although it has made major progress, should continue developing democracy because it has just started building its democratic institutions. Other topics discussed at the meeting included the situation and elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the process of democratisation in the entire area. (hina) rml ,