HDZ MPS PROPOSE PARLIAMENT REFUTE PRESSURES ON CROATIA

( Editorial: --> 0540 ) 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 unfounded 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. Seks named as examples a 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. The pressures against Croatia were also based on false statements by some party leaders, Seks said, naming as an example a statement by the President of the Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS), Ivan Jakovcic, published in the weekly 'Nacional' on Wednesday. "In this cacophony of attempts aimed at vilifying the situation in Croatia, Jakovcic was the most diligent one," HDZ secretary- general Ivan Valent told the press conference HDZ leaders held this afternoon in regard to Jakovcic's interview. Among other things, Jakovcic said: "... Should he continue like this, because of the misery, destitution and despair of Croatian citizens, caused by HDZ's reign, President Tudjman will meet the fate of Honecker or Ceausescu". HDZ spokesman Drago Krpina described the interview as the culmination of a harangue against HDZ and President Tudjman, which he said, had grown to undreamed of, frightening dimensions. "We are speaking here about threats and most radical accusations presented so far, which were obviously aimed at diverting the attention of the public from the connection, which these days was proven to exist, between the IDS and Italian neo-fascists, through one of IDS founders Ivan Pauletta," Krpina said. (hina) mm jn ha rm/mrb 182203 MET mar 98