ZAGREB, Dec 9 (Hina) - After cancelling a meeting with President +Franjo Tudjman last week, six Croatian opposition parties on +Wednesday proposed to the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) +that disputed issues be resolved by the
presidents of the parties' +parliamentary benches.+ "On that level we believe we can achieve results which will prove +whether both sides want to conduct dialogue and to make progress in +resolving disputed issues," Vlado Gotovac, president of the +Liberal Party (LS) and current spokesman for the "Opposition Six", +told reporters after today's three-hour meeting with the other five +opposition presidents.+ He however did not respond to the question whether the presidents of +the parliamentary benches would discuss a possible meeting with +President Tudjman.+ Gotovac said the bench presidents would reach a decision on the +matter during talks, but
ZAGREB, Dec 9 (Hina) - After cancelling a meeting with President
Franjo Tudjman last week, six Croatian opposition parties on
Wednesday proposed to the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ)
that disputed issues be resolved by the presidents of the parties'
parliamentary benches.
"On that level we believe we can achieve results which will prove
whether both sides want to conduct dialogue and to make progress in
resolving disputed issues," Vlado Gotovac, president of the
Liberal Party (LS) and current spokesman for the "Opposition Six",
told reporters after today's three-hour meeting with the other five
opposition presidents.
He however did not respond to the question whether the presidents of
the parliamentary benches would discuss a possible meeting with
President Tudjman.
Gotovac said the bench presidents would reach a decision on the
matter during talks, but did not say when these would take place.
"No comment," said Gotovac in response to the question whether
negotiations with the HDZ were going back to starting point.
The "Opposition Six" includes the LS, the Croatian Social Liberal
Party, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Croatian People's
Party, the Istrian Democratic Assembly, and the Croatian Peasants'
Party.
Last week, almost at the last minute, the "Opposition Six"
cancelled a previously arranged meeting with Tudjman, who was to
receive them as President of the Republic, and not as president of
the HDZ, as they had demanded.
SDP president Ivica Racan had told the media he was for the meeting
with Tudjman, regardless of the function he would have assumed
during the talks with them. Due to consensus, Racan said he was
forced to stick with the majority.
"The consensus issue was not even brought up," Gotovac said today.
He added today's talks also discussed the state of relations within
the "Opposition Six". The party presidents reached "conclusions
with regard to new internal customs."
Gotovac however refused to be more specific about these customs,
but pointed out the "Opposition Six" would continue with the mutual
dialogue, believing it to be the best way to resolve possible
disputed issues.
(hina) ha