BUDISA SURPRISED ARALICA STOOD IN FOR PAVLETIC

ZAGREB, Dec 30 (Hina) - Vice-president of the Croatian National Parliament House of Representatives, Drazen Budisa, sent a letter to parliament president and acting President of the Republic, Vlatko Pavletic, expressing surprise that Ivan Aralica had stood in for Pavletic at a reception for parliament reporters. Budisa wrote he was also surprised with the fact that he had not been invited to the Christmas reception for parliament staff, to which vice-presidents of the Lower House from the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) had been invited. "On Wednesday I attended a reception organised for Christmas and New Year's holidays for reporters covering the parliament. As you had been sick at the time, Aralica (House of Counties vice- president) stood in for you. I must admit that I was surprised by the fact that, considering Article 34 of the House of Representatives' Rule Book, you appointed Aralica to stand in for you," Budisa wrote in the letter. Budisa also wrote he had received a letter from Pavletic calling on him and his family to vote for the HDZ in the upcoming elections. "As you signed the letter personally, I would be grateful should you inform the Croatian public about how you came to this idea, and I would be also grateful if you would inform the Croatian public as to how you obtained my address and the addresses of a thousand families to whom you sent this memo," Budisa stressed. (hina) lml mm