HDZ MPS PROPOSES PARLIAMENT REFUTE PRESSURES ON CROATIA

( Editorial: --> 0539 ) ZAGREB, March 18 (Hina) - The parliamentary bench of the governing Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) wants the House of Representatives to initiate a debate on delivering a declaration refuting recent international criticism of Croatia. The declaration would be tied to the "series of unprincipled and invalid pressures by the international community on the HDZ and its president, i.e. the President of the Republic, and on Croatian state policy". This declaration would express a united stance on such proceedings, HDZ party bench chairman Vladimir Seks told a news conference on Wednesday. Expressing hope that Croatian parliamentary parties would support the initiative, Seks asserted that the pressures were not based on facts but on mistaken assertions and assessments. He said this was substantiated by the recent ultimatum of the European Union troika that they be received by President Franjo Tudjman with the discussion topic set in advance, and a letter by a group of American senators in which they told US President Bill Clinton that the Croatian Administrative Court was recalling parliamentary deputies. (Hina) mm mb /ha 181603 MET mar 98