PRESIDENT OF CRO PARLIAMENT RECEIVES STUDENTS' ASSOCIATIONS REPS

ZAGREB, March 27 (Hina) - President of the Croatian Parliament Vlatko Pavletic on Wednesday received representatives of two student associations: the Coordination of 21 Student Associations and the Croatian Student Association Council which encompasses 24 students' associations. Present at the meeting was the president of the Croatian Lower House Committee for Education, Science and Culture, Nedjeljko Mihanovic. After the meeting, representatives of the students' associations gave separate statements to reporters. #L# The Coordination representative Mario Mandaric said that "the meeting had a symbolic significance and is a result of the Coordination members' rally staged in front of the Croatian Parliament building". Coordination representatives informed Pavletic about the reasons for the rally, including "dissatisfaction with the Student Corps Bill and the situation at the University;" Mandaric said, adding that Pavletic had expressed understanding for the students' requests, stressing that students should respect democratic procedure. A Student Association Council spokesman, Kresimir Mihalic, stated that representatives of the Council had informed Pavletic about their attitude towards the Bill. In its current state, "the Bill is not acceptable, but the Students' Association Council is the most powerful partner in talks with the Science and Technology Ministry which are aimed at passing an act which would establish election criteria which would ensure the election of legitimate and legal students' representatives to bodies of universities, Mihalic said". Speaking of Wednesday's rally staged by representatives of the Students' Association Concil, Mihalic said that "rallying is a democratic right of students, but before it is staged, all democratic forms of expression should be tried". (hina) lm 272002 MET mar 96