HHO, DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT URGE THAT IT BE ESTABLISHED WHETHER PRESIDENT CAN PERFORM HIS DUTIES

ZAGREB, Nov 18 (Hina) - The president of the Croatian Helsinki Committee, Vjekoslav Vidovic, and the president of the Croatian Movement for Democracy and Social Justice, Ivan Supek, on Thursday said the Croatian Government should demonstrate political responsibility and request the Constitutional Court to establish whether the President of the Republic is able to perform his duties. Vidovic and Supek claim this is necessary so that the Parliament President, the only political factor which can replace President Tudjman, could take over his duties and secure stability of the order. Speaking at a press conference, Vidovic and Supek said they did not "urge the introduction of the state of emergency, which is what the spokesman of the ruling party claims, on the contrary - this is a request for preventing Croatia from slithering into an extra- constitutional situation". "Those who do not want to admit that the President of the Republic cannot perform his duties, are seriously jeopardising Croatia at a time when the head of state faces important decision such as the confirmation of a decision on the temporary financing of public expenses for the first quarter of 2000 and the election day", Vidovic said, adding, "it is a fact that the President of the Republic has been out of his office for 18 days". "Conflicts between different factions within the ruling party could result in Croatia's being left without both its President and the Parliament, as well as without the Constitutional Court", the two organisations said in their joint statement. (hina) jn rml