OPPOSITION ALLIANCE CONDEMNS GOVT FOR ZAGREB ASSEMBLY DISSOLUTION

ZAGREB, May 2 (Hina) - The seven-party opposition alliance on Thursday strongly condemned the Croatian government's decision to dissolve the Zagreb City Assembly, saying it was as a dangerous attack by the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party on democracy. The president of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), Vlado Gotovac, told a press conference in Zagreb that the latest events in the capital showed that "the ruling movement HDZ" was ignoring democracy. Gotovac said that the Alliance, although made up of parties with different programs, showed that democracy could function. He added that "a part of the HDZ which is against democracy and European orientation of Croatia has definitely prevailed." Social Democratic Party (SDP) president Ivica Racan described as worrying statements that new elections for the Zagreb City Assembly would be held only after conditions set by the HDZ were met. Croatian People's Party (HNS) president Radimir Cacic said that the dissolution of the Assembly was "a licence we could sell to any dictatorship in the world." The leader of the Croatian Party of Right (HSP 1861), Dobroslav Paraga, described the dissolution as a coup against the Constitution. The president of the Croatian Social Democratic Action (ASH), Silvije Degen, said that it was unprecendented in modern parliamentary democracies that a one-party government dissolved a multi-party assembly and replaced it with one person to act as a "commissar". (hina) vm jn 030004 MET may 96