ZIVANA MORIC COMMENTS ON MISS CROATIA PAGEANT IN 'VJESNIK'

( Editorial: --> 9227 ) ZAGREB, Oct 17 (Hina) - Chairman of the panel of judges and director of the Miss Croatia pageant, Milan Seckovic, on Friday pronounced last Sunday's election of Lejla Sehovic from Dubrovnik for Miss Croatia irregular. Saturday's issue of Zagreb's daily "Vjesnik" carries a commentary by Zivana Moric focusing on the pageant. "The racist claims carried by the media which questioned the beauty of Lejla Sehovic because of her nationality, and which imposed the shameless question: can a girl with such a name and surname be pronounced the most beautiful Croatian? has revealed an uncivilised level of consciousness that should have no foothold in any culture", Moric wrote. "Considering the outcome of the beauty, youth and charm parade - a euphemism for the merciless fair at which huge amounts of money are being turned - the answer to the question which girl is truly the most beautiful (...) is an attempt to reach a consensus on taste for which there is no accounting." "Discussions about the shape of the nose of the girl running for the title and whether her eyes are brown or green, her breasts accentuated, or her bottom saggy, are truly ridiculous. It matters even less how skilled she is in intellectual acrobatics. But, it is of no importance whatsoever what somebody's name and nationality is. That is, of course, if we wish to remain part of the civilised world," Moric wrote in Vjesnik. (hina) lml/rml 171641 MET oct 98