HDZ PRESIDENCY DISCUSSES ACTION OF SIX OPPOSITION PARTIES

ZAGREB, Nov 14 (Hina) - The Presidency of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party at Saturday's session discussed the announcement by six opposition parties that their representatives at the Croatian National Parliament would resign from their duties. The action by the six opposition parties (the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS), Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), Liberal Party (LS), Istrian Democratic Party (IDS) and Croatian Peoples' Party (HNS) is not motivated by true problems in the work of the Croatian National Parliament, but by their meditated and planned intention to create a parliamentary crisis on the model of a similar occurrence at the beginning of 1994, the HDZ Presidency said in a statement after the session which was chaired by President Franjo Tudjman. The Presidency recalled that in that programme for the creation of a parliamentary and general political crisis, known by the name of "Fox", the following was stated: "It is the goal to simulate a crisis in the functioning of the parliamentary authority, stimulate divisions in the HDZ and lead to pre-term elections, under the cost of calling on citizens to come out onto the streets, acting in an aggressive and organised manner". Respecting all legitimate forms of a political and parliamentary struggle, the HDZ Presidency held that the decisions and actions of some opposition parties, at the time of various international pressures being exerted on Croatia, are intended to create a political crisis, instability and insecurity, which additionally aggravates Croatia's international position. By attempting to create disorder, chaos and political instability by model of some other countries, the six mentioned opposition parties are trying to justify their demands for the holding of early elections, the Presidency said. Members of the HDZ Presidency reiterated at Saturday's session that there was not one common reason which would justify such demands, and stressed that elections shall be held at a time as stipulated by the Constitution and the Law. The Presidency particularly stressed that the announcement of the six opposition parties on their resignations to parliamentary duties, to which they had been elected by the House of Representatives or House of Counties, was a drastic violation of the Book of Rules which, among other things, stipulates that an MP's duty is to: " - participate at sessions of working bodies and speak at them, and vote in bodies whose member he/she is, - accept the choice as set by the House of Representatives (Counties) by decision." There is no doubt that the attempts to create a political crisis and tension in Croatian society are aligned with to us well-known actions of certain political and international circles, which have never reconciled with the establishment of the State of Croatia. By wishing to jeopardise our national self-awareness and identity, they primarily wish to, using all means, discredit the exact party and people who had, with the support of the Croatian people, achieved the establishment of the independent and democratic Croatia, the Presidency said. After the achieved historic results, and after eight electoral victories, the HDZ, as a majority party, is aware of its responsibility for the development of Croatia's democracy, but also for the stability and security of the State of Croatia. In this light, the HDZ wants also to point to the responsibility of all opposition parties in Parliament to search for the best answers to very complex challenges of international politics, economic development, the exercise of social justice and the building of Croatia as a law-based and democratic state. The Presidency of HDZ, thus, calls on the leadership and members of all political parties to respect the established rules of a multi- party parliamentary system, and not to resort to actions which would endanger Croatia's internal stability and its international position, the HDZ Main Secretariat said in a statement. (hina) lml