SDP PRESENTS ELECTORAL CANDIDATES

ZAGREB, Dec 2 (Hina) - The Croatian Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Thursday published the names of candidates to be placed on electoral lists together with those of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) for the upcoming parliamentary elections. Joint lists of coalitions will be published Friday. Heading the coalition lists in seven electoral units will be SDP's president Ivica Racan, and in three electoral units, as well as that for the diaspora, HSLS president Drazen Budisa. Asked to comment on Croatian Television's (HTV) open campaign against the Opposition, primarily against the SDP, Racan said it was evident that the HTV was the ruling Croatian Democratic Union's (HDZ) propaganda headquarters. Racan described Wednesday's conduct of the HTV which enabled HDZ's spokesman to give a "prompt assessment" of the Declaration signed by representatives of the Opposition Six alliance about the work of the future Government as a "negation of the HTV's level hitherto, not to speak about a public television". Racan said HDZ spokesman's assessment as a "trick, taking digs and foisting". Gordana Sobol, chairwoman of the SDP electoral headquarters, said among the 84 candidates on the lists, 26 were women, who have a chance to win seats in the Croatian National Parliament's House of Representatives. Six candidates are from the SDP Youth Forum, of whom two are near the top of the lists, she added. (hina) lml mm