PRE-ELECTORAL STAND HELD IN VUKOVAR

VUKOVAR, November 10 (Hina) - A public stand called "Ask and Elect", aimed at the promotion of active participation of citizens in politics, was held in the eastern Croatian town of Vukovar on Tuesday evening. The stand was organised by German political foundations on Croatia -- the foundations of Friedrich Ebert, Friedrich Naumann, Heinrich Boell, Hanns Seidel and Konrad Adenauer. The first of series of stands was held in the easternmost Croatian town of Ilok Monday, and another 70 are still to be held before the upcoming elections in Croatia. Mato Arlovic of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Anto Djapic of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP), Vladimir Stengl of the ruling Croatian democratic Union (HDZ), Vojislav Stanimirovic of the Serbian Democratic Independent Party (SDSS), Josip Vidosavljevic of the Croatian People's Party (HNS), and Zelimir Janjic of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), presented their standpoints on reconciliation and coexistence, economic situation and Croatia's perspectives, Croatia's legislature and judiciary, privatisation and ethic norms of life in Croatia. Vojislav Stanimirovic said that the Serb ethnic community in Croatia demanded nothing but that regulations, signed by the Croatian Government and the international community, be respected. The majority of participants shared an opinion that correcting injustice in the Croatian society should start by the revision of transformation. Ante Djapic stressed that if the process turns into a witch hunt, it would have a negative effect. Everyone, but Stanimirovic agreed that Croatia was a democratic state in which the rights of minorities are not threatened. Stanimirovic said that the level of democracy in the country was low, and added that ethnic and minority rights of the Serb community in Croatia were still not recognised. (hina) it mm