HDZ MAIN COMMITTEE TO HOLD SESSION ON FEBRUARY 25

ZAGREB, Feb 5 (Hina) - At Friday's session of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) National Council, held under the chairmanship of the party's President Franjo Tudjman, it was decided that a session of the HDZ Main Committee should be convened for February 25 in the "Vatroslav Lisinski" hall in Zagreb. The session is to be held on the ninth anniversary of the first General Convention of the HDZ party. The forthcoming session of the HDZ main committee will mark the beginning of the preparations for elections, but it will not be the beginning of the pre-election campaign, the HDZ spokesman Ivica Ropus told Hina last night. The HDZ President Franjo Tudjman will deliver the introductory speech about the HDZ tasks in the electoral year and will also comment on the party's activities so far. Stressing that the forthcoming session of the HDZ main committee will be the beginning of the preparations for the elections but not the start of the pre-election campaign, the HDZ spokesman Ropus expressed hope that speculations would thereby be dismissed about a protracted and exhausting election campaign, of which some opposition parties' leaders and election monitors had warned. Besides Tudjman, several high-ranking party officials will submit reports on the economic and social issues as well as on the internal and foreign policy topics, at the HDZ main committee's meeting. Representatives of HDZ counties' branches and of the HDZ branches from abroad will take part in the discussion at the February 25 session. About 200 members are expected to attend it, Ropus said adding that it would be a kind of a small convention of the party given that it should gather members of the HDZ main committee and all bodies. Reiterating that the forthcoming session will not formally mark the beginning of the HDZ pre-election campaign, Ropus said it would mean the start of the HDZ preparations for elections which are to be held when they are proposed by law. At that session the HDZ main committee will not form its headquarters for the elections, but it will choose a group of people that will propose persons for the subsequently established electoral main headquarters, the HDZ spokesman said. The group will also later on prepare a declaration for the elections - the HDZ programme, Ropus explained. At Friday's session the HDZ national council discussed the marking of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the HDZ party this June. The HDZ national council considered and accepted changes regarding appointments in the party, the HDZ main secretariat and other bodies. Ropus said that at the Friday's session there had been no mention of the Croatian Government reshuffle. Consultations between Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and Prime Minister Zlatko Matesa on the government reconstruction had already begun and were going on, the HDZ spokesman said. (hina) ms