ZAGREB, Dec 2 (Hina) - Presidents of the Social Democratic Party +(SDP) and Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), Ivica Racan and +Drazen Budisa, confirmed Wednesday that the six main opposition +parties, known as the 'Opposition Six'
will not attend Thursday's +talks with Croatian President and president of the ruling Croatian +Democratic Union (HDZ), Franjo Tudjman.+ The reason for this being that the six parties could not agree +whether to attend the meeting seen as the talks would be with the +State President instead of with the HDZ president, as they had +requested earlier.+ Racan said he personally held that the meeting could take place +under these conditions (with Tudjman in the function as State +President), to see whether dialogue with the HDZ was possible.+ Budisa also stressed that he would have attended the talks +notwithstanding his dissatisfaction with the HDZ framework (th
ZAGREB, Dec 2 (Hina) - Presidents of the Social Democratic Party
(SDP) and Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), Ivica Racan and
Drazen Budisa, confirmed Wednesday that the six main opposition
parties, known as the 'Opposition Six' will not attend Thursday's
talks with Croatian President and president of the ruling Croatian
Democratic Union (HDZ), Franjo Tudjman.
The reason for this being that the six parties could not agree
whether to attend the meeting seen as the talks would be with the
State President instead of with the HDZ president, as they had
requested earlier.
Racan said he personally held that the meeting could take place
under these conditions (with Tudjman in the function as State
President), to see whether dialogue with the HDZ was possible.
Budisa also stressed that he would have attended the talks
notwithstanding his dissatisfaction with the HDZ framework (that
Tudjman be in the function of State President instead of HDZ party
president), if he could be sure that two requests of the opposition
would be met.
The requests are that a commission of inquiries be established to
look into the work and possible abuse of intelligence services, and
that talks on the Electoral Law be initiated.
"I am pro talks," Budisa reiterated when asked whether the talks
with President Tudjman have been only postponed or cancelled.
He, however, stressed it was unacceptable that the President of the
Republic who is also the president of the ruling party, has since
the establishment of the independent Croatian state had no wish to
meet with presidents of other parliamentary parties in the function
of HDZ president.
(hina) lml mm