HDZ CENTRAL COMMITTEE HEARS REPORTS ON ELECTION RESULTS, DIASPORA

ZAGREB, Feb 24 (Hina) - Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) secretary general Ivan Valent and Central Committee member Ante Beljo on Saturday addressed a meeting of the HDZ Central Committee on last year's election results and relations between the HDZ and Croatian emigrants. Valent recalled that the HDZ had won an average 45.8 percent of the vote in parliamentary elections in late October and 74.3 percent of the votes of Croats living outside Croatia. Speaking of the elections for the 50-seat Zagreb City Assembly, he said that the HDZ had won a relative majority of 36.5 percent or 17 seats. He added that that was due to the war, increased economic and social problems, and a lack of cooperation between the HDZ city committee and the city administration and HDZ members of the City Assembly. Beljo spoke about Croatia's image in the world, saying that it was the same as the one created by the former Yugoslavia. He also blamed it on foreign news agencies which engaged "Yugonostalgic" journalists. He said that communication between the people and the government was blocked by bureaucracy and that this was particularly evident in relations with the diaspora. "But despite all that, Croat emigrants are returning to Croatia for the first time," he stressed. (hina) vm jn 242133 MET feb 96