CROATIAN BISHOPS URGE CITIZENS AND FAITHFUL TO GO TO POLLS

ZAGREB, Nov 11 (Hina) - The Croatian Bishops' Conference's (HBK) Commission Justitia et pax on Thursday called on Croatian citizens and faithful to participate in the upcoming elections for the House of Representatives and vote "according to their conscience for those parties and candidates whose programmes are in line with the ethical and moral principles of the faithful, both in social and family life". In a statement issued today, the Commission said the election time is a time of making decisions about the future political, economic, cultural, social and other relations, as well as about the future of the Croatian state. "Croatia now needs people with a vision, people who will unite all positive forces and enable them to, in accordance with their ability, knowledge and moral integrity, participate in building a healthy society", the statement read. The Commission calls on "those who are responsible for and involved in the organisation and implementation of the elections to make maximum efforts and see that the elections are really fair: to secure equal pre-election campaigning, primarily in the media which cover the whole territory of Croatia; and to see that the secrecy of the vote and the election results are respected". The Commission also calls for making sure that "the elections are held in line with international conventions and European democratic standards, and that official commissions and supervisory bodies have a mixed structure". Political candidates are urged to "respect the dignity of each person, especially of their political rivals, to be tolerant in the competition and open and clear in programmes and pre-election promises, so that the campaign can be completed without mutual humiliation and slandering, because the political rival is not an enemy but a human being with dignity and human rights", it is said, among other things, in the statement, signed by the Commission president, Porec-Pula Bishop Ivan Milovan. (hina) rml