TUDJMAN ADDRESSES RULING HDZ'S MAIN COMMITTEE ON 10TH ANNIVERSARY

ZAGREB, June 26 (Hina) - The creation of the HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) ten years ago marked a historic watershed for the Croatian people, Croatian and HDZ President Franjo Tudjman told a conference of the HDZ Main Committee in Zagreb on Saturday, which marked the ruling party's tenth anniversary. In his address, President Tudjman recalled the beginning and the path crossed so far, the achieved results, and spoke of the situation and the problems of Croatian society. The legacy we have achieved speaks of the preserved national conscience, the independence of the Croatian people, of the maturity, vision, and capability of HDZ's national leadership to be on the level of outstanding internal and external circumstances, the President said. Recalling the crucial days of a decade ago, he emphasised HDZ had been the only party to put forward a programme for the creation of Croatian independence. At that time, some 30 parties formed a coalition to oppose the HDZ, which was also opposed by the Communist Alliance of Croatia. "They called us 'the party of dangerous intentions' at that time. And we are, we were a party of dangerous intentions for those who were for the preservation of Yugoslavia, the dungeon of the Croatian people and the country of a crashed socialist system," President Tudjman said. He added that all but the HDZ had at that time been focused on the democratisation of the Yugoslav federation. Even today there are blinded individuals and groups which deny all achieved successes, even on behalf of certain parties, the President asserted. "With their inferences, these fatalistic negators actually wish to justify their political immaturity and wrong inferences from those crucial days." The HDZ has achieved state independence within internationally recognised borders, has saved the presence of Croathood in Bosnia- Herzegovina, thus also ensuring "the strategic borders of the Croatian state," the President said. We linked Croathood in the homeland and in the world, which had been divided, especially by the circumstances in World War Two. Without that unity between Croatia in the homeland and in emigration, we would have no HDZ today, and therefore no independent Croatia either, President Tudjman asserted. He added there are those competing in preventing representatives of that Croathood, who had been dispersed, from sitting in the Croatian parliament. Why they are doing so is incomprehensible, as is their failure to understand the historical directive of Croatia's recent history, the President said. The HDZ, he added, built a policy to become a centrist people's party with no ideological orientation. Tudjman said despite the achieved epoch-making results, the complete party's programme still has not been fulfilled entirely. "Ahead of us is the task of Croatia's territorial integration, but primarily spiritual integration. We have achieved economic stability, and we are left with the task o demographic and moral renaissance, which is not something to be achieved in a couple of years, generation changes will be necessary in the spirit and awareness of the people," Tudjman said. Stressing there were some occurrences of immorality and misuse, Tudjman said they did not originate from the HDZ. These occurrences are unavoidable in a free market society, which Croatia has chosen to be. The HDZ was and will be in the first lines of the fight for a healthy moral society, a consistent respect of the legal order, transforming Croatia into a social state. Tudjman said in solving all social issues, we had to aspire towards a consensus-based solution, and strikes, rallies and traffic blockages "are not a part of the solution, but create chaos". He stressed Croatia was for associations with the world, but those associations in which it would remain independent, and in which it would not be anybody's pawn for the realisation of any kind of policy. Tudjman said Croatia was for normalisation of relations with neighbouring countries with the aim of maintaining peace and stability and the normal development of Croatia and other peoples. We are also for the motioned Stability Pact, but we wish our stances to be accepted and not forced, through the Pact, to be included into any Balkan or south-eastern European frames, which would not suit Croatia's national interests. Notwithstanding the fact that Croatia has friendly, partnership relations with some countries of Europe and with the United States of America, it is faced with, as Tudjman put it, intense efforts of so-called non-government organisations which desire some other Croatia. Officially, they say they wish to cooperate with the stable Croatia, but on the other hand, they are trying in any way possible to use this year of elections to change the situation, if not completely, then only just to have the president's hands tied, he stressed. We are aware we can lead an independent Croatian policy in the interest of the Croatian state if we keep the unity of the Croatian people. And in order to do that, we must primarily maintain the unity of the HDZ as the strongest central people's party, in which I have no doubts, Tudjman stressed. He said there was no force which could subdue even a small people if it is nationally unified, prepared to defend its interests, and for a rational cooperation with the international community and other peoples. (hina) ha/lml jn