"OPPOSITION SIX" WILL NOT ATTEND MEETING WITH TUDJMAN

ZAGREB, Dec 2 (Hina) - The leaders of the "Opposition Six" will not attend a meeting with the President of the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), Franjo Tudjman. "The six opposition leaders cannot accept the conditions of the meeting which were handed to us. We sought talks with Tudjman as President of the HDZ and instead are forced to hold talks with him as President of the Republic", announced Vlado Gotovac, spokesman of the Opposition Six, on Wednesday afternoon. The meeting with President Tudjman was scheduled for Thursday morning. Gotovac said it had been agreed to hold the meeting even under these conditions, to verify whether the governing HDZ really wanted to hold dialogue. Due to the fact that the six opposition parties function on a consensus principle, it was decided that we would not attend the meeting, Gotovac said. On reporters' questions whether this meant the delay or cancellation of talks, Gotovac replied that the Opposition Six were not rejecting the meeting. During the press conference held in the Croatian National Sabor (Parliament), Gotovac refused to answer any more questions, repeating that he had said everything he should and could have as spokesman of the Opposition Six. (hina) jn ab/ha