KUMROVEC MARKS TITO'S 19TH DEATH ANNIVERSARY

KUMROVEC, May 4 (Hina) - The 19th death anniversary of Josip Broz Tito, president of the former Yugoslav federation, was marked in his birthplace Kumrovec, northern Croatia, on Tuesday. Wreaths were laid beneath a Tito statue in front of the house in which he was born by delegations of the Social Democratic Party, Kumrovec Municipality, and local branches of the Socialist Workers' party, the Alliance of Anti-Fascist Fighters of Croatia, the Association of War Invalids, and the Josip Broz Tito Society. Tito's birthplace was also visited by some of his admirers from Croatia and neighbouring Slovenia. Among the messages written in a book of impressions at the house were "Tito, come back home", or "Comrade Tito, help", the latter written by a visitor from neighbouring Bosnia-Herzegovina (BH). A student who complained of no peace in the region, also confided in Tito telling him he had recently broken up with his girlfriend. A central commemoration on the occasion of Tito's death anniversary was held on Sunday, May 2, when a crowd of 2,000 gathered in front of the house in which he was born, and was organised by anti-fascist fighters associations from Croatia, Slovenia, and BH, the Action of Croatia's Social-Democrats, the Social Democratic Union, and the Socialist Workers' Party. According to Dunja Saric, head of Kumrovec's ethno-museum Staro Selo, on whose premises is Tito's birth-house, told reporters the number of people visiting the museum revolves around 4,000, mainly coming from Croatia and the neighbouring countries. There are also some we would never expect in the heart of Croatia's Zagorje region, such as several tourists from Japan who were present at the Sunday commemoration, she said. (hina) ha jn