'OPPOSITION SIX' NEGATIVELY ASSESSES BILL ON ELECTORAL UNITS

ZAGREB, Oct 22 (Hina) - Officials of Croatia's major opposition parties said on Friday not even the new bill on electoral units will help the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) win the parliamentary elections scheduled for 22 December. Officials of the Opposition Six party group negatively assessed the bill which envisages ten instead of nine electoral units, and the division of Croatia into new territorial units. The opposition's principal objection is the division of Zagreb into four electoral units, and the linking of the capital with remote, rural areas of Croatia. Mato Arlovic of the Social Democratic Party said the bill was HDZ's attempt to adjust electoral units to its estimates in order to fare as good as possible. Luka Trconic of the Croatian Peasants' Party said he was certain nothing will save the ruling party from a genuine electoral disaster. Jozo Rados of the Croatian Social Liberal Party reminded the ruling party's chief negotiator recently resolutely told foreign reporters there would be nine electoral units. Rados said this indicated how much the HDZ could be trusted. According to Ivan Jakovcic of the Istrian Democratic Assembly, the new bill in one part had improved on the logic of electoral units, which now are made of almost entire counties. Zagreb however has been subjected to the worst possible "butchering," he said. Bozo Kovacevic of the Liberal Party said he was not surprised with the fact the electoral units bill in the second reading significantly differed from the one of the first reading. "We would certainly be surprised if the HDZ won the elections independently of the bill," he asserted. The ruling party's chief negotiator, Vladimir Seks, told reporters today the number of ten electoral units, with a separate one for the Diaspora, was final. (hina) ha mm