RIJEKA, April 24 (Hina) - Submitting a report on the work of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) at a general electoral assembly in Rijeka on Saturday, party leader Ivo Sanader said that since the seventh electoral assembly in 2002
the party "has consolidated and returned to power, and the HDZ-led government has obtained a positive opinion from the European Commission (on Croatia's EU membership application) and opened the door to full EU membership".
RIJEKA, April 24 (Hina) - Submitting a report on the work of the
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) at a general electoral assembly in
Rijeka on Saturday, party leader Ivo Sanader said that since the
seventh electoral assembly in 2002 the party "has consolidated and
returned to power, and the HDZ-led government has obtained a positive
opinion from the European Commission (on Croatia's EU membership
application) and opened the door to full EU membership".#L#
"The EC's recommendation has dramatically changed Croatia's
international position, and in June we expect a decision from the
Coucil of Ministers granting Croatia the status of a candidate for
full membership," Sanader said speaking at the ninth general electoral
assembly.
The HDZ leader said the EC's opinion marked the end of one chapter in
Croatia's modern history, which started with its independence.
He thanked party members for their work and contribution to the
victory at the November 2003 parliamentary elections.
The assembly is held in Rijeka, for the first time outside Zagreb,
because the HDZ wants to strengthen its influence in that part of
Croatia, Sanader said.
Commenting on relations with the Social Democrats (SDP), the incumbent
prime minister dismissed any possibility of forming a coalition with
the SDP. Responding to SDP leader Ivica Racan's criticism of the HDZ,
he said Racan "should put his own house in order first".
Speaking about the Peasant Party (HSS), Sanader said the party was
"conducting a petty political, underhand campaign against the HDZ"
which would end the same way as "the HSS interpellation request which
was supported by only seven parliamentary deputies".
Dismissing accusations from the HSS that the government delegation
negotiating Protocol VII with the EU had allowed a big increase in
import quotas, Sanader said the import quotas were lower now that
Croatia was preparing to join the EU than they were at the time of the
former government. He added that the Croatian team also managed to
negotiate higher export quotas.
Strengthening small and medium-sized entrepreneurship, increasing
exports and conquering new markets are solutions to Croatia's economic
problems, unemployment, high debt and foreign trade deficit, Sanader
said.
He reiterated the commitment of his government to cooperate with the
UN war crimes tribunal, stressing that Croatia would use all legal
means to challenge unacceptable allegations from the tribunal's
indictments.
The assembly adopted changes to the party statute and took a vote on
the new leadership to head the party in the next four years.
Around 1 pm the votes were still being counted.
Attending the convention as guests were Democratic Centre president
and Justice Minister Vesna Skare Ozbolt, the leader of Bosnia's
Croatian Democratic Union, Barisa Colak, representatives of similar
political parties from Slovenia, Hungary and France, and
representatives of the diplomatic corps in Croatia, the OSCE Mission,
and Homeland War associations.
(Hina) rml