NEW VICE-PRESIDENTS OF HDZ PARTY ELECTED

( Editorial: --> 3950 ) ZAGREB, May 14 (Hina) - Sessions of the Presidency, Main Committee and Head Committee councils of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) were held on Thursday under the chairmanship of president Franjo Tudjman. At the Presidency session, Nikica Valentic and Vladimir Seks were elected vice-presidents of the party, in line with the Statute. "Because of the overall situation in the party and the necessity of strengthening the original centrist Tudjman line, I accepted the duty and will contribute as much as I can," Valentic told reporters. "The electoral campaign has already begun, and it will be even stronger in the autumn," Valentic said. He added that his long-term affinity did not lie with politics but business. On the occasion of his appointment as vice-president of the HDZ, Vladimir Seks told reporters that the decision "in a certain way...presents the demonstration of the unity policy of the HDZ's leadership". He added that there had been numerous speculations, but also serious attempts to break up and disunite the HDZ leadership by different foreign, but also domestic sources of different provenance. At the session of the HDZ National Council, Hrvoje Sarinic informed members that, after talks with President Franjo Tudjman, he had given up his intention to resign from the post of Presidential Chief-of-Staff. The National Council was also informed that Croatian President Tudjman had appointed Sarinic as regular special member of the National Security Headquarters Committee. The Council was also informed that Tudjman had appointed Miroslav Tudjman to the Council for Strategic Decisions. Members of the HDZ National Council were informed that Luka Bebic had been released from duty as presidential advisor for national security, and Smiljko Sokol, formerly special presidential advisor for legal issues, was appointed main presidential advisor for constitutional and legal issues, while Mirko Ramuscak was appointed presidential advisor for constitutional and legal issues. (Hina) lm jn 142000 MET may 98