HDZ WANTS MORE TOLERANT POLITICAL SCENE IN 1999

ZAGREB, Dec 30 (Hina) - The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) expects that the year 1999 will bring the multi-party system in Croatia to maturity and believes that the establishment of a two-partite system would be detrimental to the development of democracy, HDZ vice president Ivica Pasalic told reporters on Wednesday. The HDZ does not favour confrontation and animosity but political rivalry and development of a multi-party system, based on normal political relations. That is why the party suggests the establishment of an expert group to consider possible changes to the election laws, which has already been accepted, as well as the drawing up of a code of ethics which would regulate the basic rules of multi-party competition prior to and after the elections, Pasalic said. The HDZ believes that in the long run Croatia needs democratic development and tolerant relations among the parties. The short- term interest for daily political purposes would be an aggressive confrontation with the Social-Democratic Party (SDP), as HDZ's main rival, Pasalic assessed. Speaking about the latest events in Martin Brod, HDZ spokesman Ivan Ropus said the reasons for SFOR's intervention and demonstration of force were not clear, since an agreement had been reached that all disputable border issues would be solved by the Croatian-Bosnian commission for borders. Asked to comment on statements made in the press by attorney Ante Nobilo saying Croatia would be penalised if it refused cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, Pasalic said Nobilo's political views were unfounded, although his defence of General Tihomir Blaskic was successful. The Croatian National Sabor adopted a standpoint in principle as regards the Hague Tribunal and we expected that all those who committed crimes would be tried regardless of their nationality, Pasalic said. "We could not have imagined that the criminals who headed the aggression and committed crimes against Croats in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina would not be tried". So far, the ICTY has indicted 13 Croats and it is only logical to ask whether they are being tried in a fair manner and in line with international conventions or according to political criteria, Pasalic said. In regard to that, he expressed hope that the Sabor would reach consensus on Croatia's standpoint towards the Hague Tribunal, because it is one of its strategic questions. Commenting on announcements by the Opposition concerning the establishment of a shadow government, spokesman Ropus said the Opposition had the right to compete for the confidence of the electorate but the electorate was the one to decide whom it would give its confidence. The opinion poll, published in a Croatian weekly, according to which only 17 per cent of the electorate support the HDZ, is only one in a series of polls whose results considerably differ from the election results. A poll conducted by the HDZ shows that the party is supported by some 37 per cent of the electorate, Ropus said. (hina) rml