CROATIAN HELSINKI COMMITTEE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION

( Editorial: --> 6944 ) KARLOVAC, Aug 30 (Hina) - The president of the Croatian Helsinki Committee (HHO) Ivan Zvonimir Cicak on Sunday informed HHO members about his irrevocable decision to resign his post. A statement, sent on Cicak's behalf to the Croatian media by an HHO member from Karlovac Petar Mrkalj, said the HHO president would leave his post as of 1 September. Cicak said he hoped his resignation would enable other HHO members to take over responsibility and establish new models of managing the committee. Further details would be made known later, Cicak said in the statement. Th HHO president was unavailable for comment today. At the Committee's last plenary meeting, following his election as HHO president, Cicak agreed to hold the office until September this year. At the end of March, Cicak offered his resignation following a dispute with the HHO executive director Bozo Kovacevic. Several days later, Kovacevic, too, offered resignation saying his decision was motivated by his wish to lessen tensions in the HHO. The HHO Presidency accepted Kovacevic's resignation and at this year's first HHO plenary meeting, in mid-May, Cicak was unanimously re-elected HHO president. (hina) rml 301744 MET aug 98