HDZ OFFICIAL ANNOUNCES TUDJMAN-OPPOSITION MEETING

ZAGREB, Dec 1 (Hina) - The meeting between the Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and the leaders of six Opposition parties will be held on Thursday, December 3, at 9am. Present at the talks at President Tudjman's side will be some of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) officials, a high HDZ official said on Tuesday. Parliament vice president and HDZ vice president Vladimir Seks said the talks would tackle the resignations from some parliamentary posts by "the Opposition six" members, the work of security services in the protection of the constitutional order, civil rights and freedoms and the election law. After the meeting, at 10.30am, the President of the Republic and HDZ officials will meet with representatives of other Opposition parties - the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP), Croatian Pure Party of Rights (HCSP), Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU) and minority representatives, Seks added. President Tudjman will participate in the meeting in his capacity as the President of the State. When asked whether the Opposition would accept that, Seks said that was what had been agreed, because the state policy and the functioning of the Parliament were in question. "This is about a state problem and state issues and therefore we will have talks on the state level. Whether the meeting will include a separate meeting on the party level remains to be seen", he said. Seks said he and other two HDZ officials - another party vice president and possibly an official from the HDZ Presidency - will attend the meeting at President Tudjman's side. Asked whether the Opposition was given the guarantees they had requested - namely that the meeting be successful - Seks said both sides expressed willingness to open a parliamentary discussion on the activities of secret services. "It has been agreed that the discussion will be organised at the parliamentary level", Seks said. The second Opposition request concerned a discussion on the basic principles of the election legislation. "We have harmonised our standpoints and these two topics will be discussed. It means that the conditions for talks and a discussion have been met", the HDZ official concluded. (hina) mm rml