FUNERAL-STYLE STUDENT PROTEST OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT BUILDING

ZAGREB, March 27 (Hina) - The Coordination of Student Associations today staged a peaceful rally outside the Parliament building in Zagreb. The rally was motivated by "dissatisfaction with some provisions of the Student Corps Bill, the situation at the Zagreb University and the general situation in the Croatian society," according to Mario Mandaric, spokesman for the Coordination, which embraces 21 student associations. The immediate cause of the rally is the Student Corps Bill, which has been tabled for the first reading in the House of Representatives today. Contrary to a previous agreement with the Ministry of Science, the bill was drafted without consulting the students, Mandaric said. "Anyway, the bill doesn't resolve the main problem - the founding and status of student associations," he said. "The goal of this rally is to draw attention, in a democratic yet persistent way, to the catastrophic situation at the University of Zagreb and the responsibility of the Chancellor, Marijan Sunjic," another Coordination representative, Marin Luetic said. In order to avoid advance notice to city authorities, the rally was styled as a funeral march, in mock deference to the Public Information Act. The Act bans public rallies in the very centre of Zagreb and requires all rallies to be announced in advance. After obtaining a promise that the President of the Parliament, Vlatko Pavletic, would speak to them this afternoon, the marchers dispersed. (hina) jn as 271544 MET mar 96