HDZ DENOUNCES INCIDENT AT SQUARE OF CROATIAN GREAT MEN

ZAGREB, May 14 (Hina) - The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) says the incident which occurred at the Square of Croatian Great Men in Zagreb on May 9 is a conflict between two politically different, marginal, ideological groups, the ruling HDZ's spokesman Ivica Ropus said at a regular news conference Friday. He condemned the violent conduct of members of the New Croatian Right Wing (NHD) and said he got information that a criminal investigation was underway against NHD president Mladen Schwartz for suspicion of having committed a crime of violating the law on public gathering. Ropus announced the HDZ would file a suit against Stipe Mesic (deputy president of the Croatian People's Party) for his statement that the "HDZ resorted to repression". He reiterated the stance of the Croatian authorities towards the heritage of the struggle against fascism and the Croatian anti- fascist tradition, stressing that there could be no equalising sign between anti-fascism and the communist rule. A large part of participants of the protest rally staged at the square had in the communist rule prominent positions, Ropus said. The HDZ holds the organisers of the rally have a legitimate right of gathering and requesting for the square's former name of Victims of Anti-Fascism, as well as to mark the Day of Victory over Fascism, he said. Ropus dismissed Stipe Mesic's accusations that the Zagreb police was responsible for the incident and that the HDZ preferred such a development of events to distract attention from the current problems in the Croatian society. Mesic is using such situations as an opportunity for a public appearance, Ropus said. Replying to comments on statements by the director of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, Ephraim Zuroff that the Croatian Government should have prevented the incident and not be mild towards the perpetrators, Ropus said much worse incidents were occurring in Israel between ultra-rightists and liberals. (hina) lml jn