ZAGREB, Sept 2 (Hina) - Leaders of six Croatian opposition parties on Thursday signed an agreement on cooperation before, during and after the upcoming elections.
ZAGREB, Sept 2 (Hina) - Leaders of six Croatian opposition parties
on Thursday signed an agreement on cooperation before, during and
after the upcoming elections. #L#
The 'Opposition Six' includes the Social Democratic Party (SDP),
Croatian Social-Liberal Party (HSLS), Croatian Peasants' Party
(HSS), Liberal Party (LS), Croatian People's Party (HNS) and the
Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS).
The nine-item document obliges the six parties to "maximum
tolerance and mutual respect" as well as the "coordination of their
pre-election activities without mutual attacks and disrespect".
The parties' leaders also bound themselves not to form a coalition
with the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ).
The parties will be able to enter various forms of election
cooperation, but not to the detriment of the overall cooperation
within the Opposition Six, as set by joint documents.
The agreement allows the parties to cooperate with other opposition
parties independently from the 'Opposition Six'.
According to the agreement, the basic task of the Opposition Six is
the change of the current authorities, as it is the precondition for
Croatia's democratic transformation and the solution of the
current economic, social and political crisis.
In case they win the elections, the parties also commit themselves
to form authorities together, in line with election results.
The parties also agreed to adopt a joint declaration on the basic
guidelines of post-election activities before the beginning of the
election campaign.
However, each of the parties reserves the right to participate in
the elections independently, with its own election programme.
With today's agreement the Opposition Six has formalised their last
week's announcement that they want to continue their cooperation,
which was seriously jeopardised with the election coalition
between the SDP and the HSLS in early August in Split.
The agreement was signed by HNS president Radimir Cacic, HSLS's
Drazen Budisa, HSS's Zlatko Tomcic, IDS's Ivan Jakovcic, LS's Vlado
Gotovac and SDP's Ivica Racan.
The document was read out to reporters by the Opposition
coordinator Vlado Gotovac, but neither he nor other leaders wanted
to answer journalists' questions. Gotovac only said it was not a
news conference.
(hina) rml