MARTINEZ MEETS CROATIAN PARLIAMENT'S MEMBERS

ZAGREB, July 5 (Hina) - The chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Miguel Angel Martinez, attended as a guest a session of the extended Croatian parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, chaired by the deputy speaker of the Croatian Parliament's House of Representatives, Dr. Zarko Domljan. The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) deputies, independent members of the parliament, Milan Djukic as a representative of the Serb National Party (SNS), Boris Kandara and Ante Djapic as the Croatian Party of Law (HSP) deputies and Drago Stipac, a representative of the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) were present at today's session in Zagreb. Martinez reminded members of the Croatian parliamentary committee of a positive role assumed a half year ago by Croatian Parliament and its then speaker Stjepan Mesic at the moment when the Council of Europe had seriously considered a possibility to rescind the Craotia's status of a special guest in the institution. Commenting on Croatia's receiving the full membership in the Council of Europe Martinez said that the current situation in Croatia was "very close to be acceptable." He stressed that reports on freedom of the media in Croatia, which he got, were positive. Martinez said that human rights here were not at a worse level than the standards for the rights in a dozen countries that were now members of the Council of Europe. Martinez added that a group of experts following him would arrive in Croatia to assess whether it was a democratic state in all aspects. Mentioning cases of eviction from flats by force and the instance of state-controlled Croatian Radio and Television (HRT), Martinez said that such problems should not been kept secret, but solved at adequate levels without exaggeration and politicization. Afterwards Martinez held talks with representatives of Croatian parliamentary opposition. Their talks revolved around the parliamentary crisis in Croatia. The meeting was held at the request of the opposition representatives. Stjepan Mesic, a member of the Croatian Independent Democrats (HND), and representatives of Croatian Social-Democrats (HSLS), the Croatian Populous Party (HNS), the Istrian Democratic Party (IDS), the Dalmatian Action (DA), the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS). Martinez said that it would be important to establish whether the crisis might be marked as a crisis of a democratic or undemocratic state explaining that "there is no political crisis in undemocratic states." He warned that there was danger the crisis might mar a process of admitting Croatia to the Council of Europe. Therefore, both the opposition and the ruling party had to show maturity in solving the problem that must not become the chronic crisis. He added that people who he knew and worked with were included in the crisis, and that's why his confidence in them "has its own weight". Martinez met the U.N. Secretary-General's special envoy and U.N. Protection Force (UNPROFOR) chief coordinator, Yasushi Akashi, in Zagreb on Tuesday afternoon. 051719 MET jul 94