RULING CRO POLITICAL PARTY NOT SURPRISED BY OPPOSITION'S STATEMENT

ZAGREB, Nov 11 (Hina) - A statement by Croatian People's Party (HNS) MP Radimir Cacic that the six leading opposition leaders will resign their posts in the Sabor (Parliament), did not surprise the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). President of the HDZ parliamentary bench, Vladimir Seks, announced in a press conference on Monday that this statement did not surprise the HDZ because the leading six opposition leaders had previously made this announcement. Whether new parliamentary vice-presidents will be chosen will be decided subsequently, said Seks, adding that there "are and aren't" reasons to do so. Seks elaborated on this explaining that the vice- presidents of the House of Representatives from the six opposition parties had not fully complied with their obligations which that function requires. He said that the six opposition leaders had only sometimes chaired parts of the parliamentary sessions or taken part as parliamentary representatives on various occasions. Their vice-presidency function was only of a representational nature, said Seks. When asked what Lower House vice-president functions Drazen Budisa of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) and Stjepan Radic of the HSS did not perform, Seks said that it concerned various duties, for instance the overall organisation and functioning of the parliament, and connections with the government and other institutions and bodies. Seks said that the chairmen and deputy chairmen of committees from the six opposition parties would be replaced by other opposition MPs, independent representatives, and representatives of ethnic minority groups. (hina) ab/ha jn