OPPOSITION LEADERS ON 'ZAGREB CRISIS'

ZAGREB, March 29 (Hina) - Five Opposition MPs today held a news conference following the refusal of the House of Representatives to include two Opposition-sponsored bills on the agenda for this session. They are bills of amendments to the City of Zagreb Act and the Local Government and Self-Government Act. #L# The conference was opened by Croatian Social Liberal Party leader Vlado Gotovac, who read out an open letter to President Franjo Tudjman. The letter, signed by representatives of the Association of Seven Opposition Parties, asked President Tudjman "what guarantees he could offer that the next election would not be followed by another crisis" in the Zagreb city authorities. "Quashing the provisions which give the President the power to confirm the elected mayor and county prefect would facilitate a democratic resolution of the crisis," said Social Democratic Party leader Ivica Racan. "The idea was to offer an honourable escape," said Croatian Peasant Party leader Zlatko Tomcic. "By rejecting to consider the two bills, the Parliament has assumed part of the responsibility for the failure to resolve the Zagreb crisis," said Drazen Budisa, the fourth mayor voted by the Zagreb City Council since the October election. "This is no longer a matter of repeating the local election - it raises the issue of new parliamentary elections," he concluded. (hina) mm as 291750 MET mar 96