VUKOVAR/ VINKOVCI, 31 March (Hina) - The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) of the Vukovar County on Monday held a press conference in the hotel 'Dunav' in Vukovar, under the title 'The Danube Is Our Goal'. Nineteen HDZ candidates for
the Parliament House of Counties and bodies of local authorities presented themselves at the press conference. Before and after the conference, a group of Serb extremists, gathered in front of the hotel, physically assaulted participants in the press conference who arrived from Vinkovci, and caused serious incidents in which several participants in the press conference were injured, including Hina's correspondent from Vinkovci.
VUKOVAR/ VINKOVCI, 31 March (Hina) - The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) of
the Vukovar County on Monday held a press conference in the hotel 'Dunav' in
Vukovar, under the title 'The Danube Is Our Goal'.
Nineteen HDZ candidates for the Parliament House of Counties and
bodies of local authorities presented themselves at the press conference.
Before and after the conference, a group of Serb extremists, gathered
in front of the hotel, physically assaulted participants in the press
conference who arrived from Vinkovci, and caused serious incidents in which
several participants in the press conference were injured, including Hina's
correspondent from Vinkovci. #L#
Today's conference was the beginning of pre-election campaigning of
the HDZ Vukovar county committee. The press conference was attended by
Vukovar County prefect Vlado Osust, deputy prefects Dragutin Guzovski and
Rudolf Koenig, Vukovar and Ilok mayors Vladimir Stengl and Stipan Kraljevic
respectively, HDZ county committee president Dragan Papac and Dr Vesna
Bosanac.
Upon their arrival in front of the hotel 'Dunav', the Croatian
delegation and 18 Croatian journalists met several hundred enraged Vukovar
residents who were carrying Serbian flags.
After the Croatian delegation and journalists came out of the bus and
started for the hotel's entrance, the mob started throwing eggs at them,
shouting 'Ustasha, Ustasha'.
During the press conference, the mob remained in front of the hotel,
which was secured by transitional police forces and UNTAES military and
civil police.
After the conference, the Croatian delegation had to stay in the hotel
for more than a half an hour.
Several persons from the mob broke through security units and
physically assaulted the Croatian delegation. They threw eggs, stones and
bricks. Several people carrying weapons were seen making their way through
security units.
The Croatian delegation managed to enter the bus the windows of which
were almost all smashed by the mob. The delegation was then transported to
the UNTAES headquarters in Vukovar in four armoured vehicles, from where
they were transported in UNTAES vehicles to Vinkovci.
Upon their arrival in Vinkovci, Vukovar County prefect Vlado Osust and
HDZ Vukovar county committee president Dragan Papac held a press conference
at which they strongly condemned today's incident adding they would send a
protest letter to General Klein because of poor and inefficient security.
(hina) rm
311514 MET mar 97