8TH ELECTORAL CONVENTION OF SDP STARTS

ZAGREB, Dec 2 (Hina) - The eight electoral convention of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), at which a new leadership will be elected, started Saturday morning. The convention gathered about 1,700 representatives of central, county and city organisations of the SDP from Croatia. Also present at the convention will be six parties of the ruling coalition, as well as representatives of SDP sister-parties from Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic , Finland, Greece, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Hungary, Macedonia, Germany, Slovenia, and Great Britain. SDP president Ivica Racan greeting the present. During the convention, the participants will elect a new president, secretary and central and supervisory committees. Current president of the party (and Croatia's Prime Minister) Ivica Racan is the only candidate for the president of the SDP, while a larger number of candidates will run for other positions in the party. Jerko Zovak told reporters Friday he might run for the SDP president as well, and added he would pass the final decision at the convention. Registration of new candidates will be possible at the convention as well. Along with new candidates who registered yesterday, Snjezana Biga- Friganovic will also run for the vice president of the party. She registered this morning. A new party statute and declaration are expected to be adopted, and a new SDP logo concept will be presented. (hina) it