PREMIER MATESA ON ELECTION OF GORAN GRANIC FOR POSTS OF ZAGREB CIT

CIT $ Y MAYOR, COUNTY PREFECT ZAGREB, Jan 5 (Hina) - At today's regular meeting of the Croatian Government, Premier Zlatko Matesa explained yesterday's proposal by the Government to the Croatian president not to confirm the election of Goran Granic for the post of Zagreb Mayor and Zagreb County Prefect. The Government considered that Granic did not meet basic requirements for the post of the city mayor and county prefect. #L# The Government answered for the functioning of the executive authority and its main guidelines were consistency and implementation of policy without any reserves, Matesa said, explaining Government's proposal. Recalling the tight connection between the infrastructure of the central authority and the infrastructure of the City of Zagreb, which also includes the question of defence, traffic and the supply system of the whole of Croatia, Matesa said that the Government did not want to see any kind of political battle being fought in executive authorities. It could directly threaten the implementation of the policy of the executive authority and 'I don't want to bear responsibility for that', Matesa said. Goran Granic (Croatian Social-Liberal Party, HSLS) was proposed for the post of Zagreb Mayor by the opposition coalition and was elected Zagreb Mayor by the majority vote at a Zagreb City Assembly session held on January 2 this year. The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) councilors in the Assembly voted against Granic's election. (hina) mm rm 051604 MET jan 96