NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL'S STATEMENT CAUSES SEKS CONCERN

ZAGREB, June 1 (Hina) - President of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) parliament party bench Vladimir Seks today voiced concern about yesterday's statement uttered by NATO Secretary-General George Robertson, that countries of the South East of Europe should unite. Croatian officials should thoroughly explain this utterance, Seks said. It is difficult to believe, he continued, that yesterday's Robertson's statement in Zagreb was a slip of the tongue, as the word to unify has a clear meaning. Seks categorically dismissed the claim by Parliament speaker Zlatko Tomcic who said yesterday that it is the HDZ's fault that the Parliament and committees do not have a quorum and cannot function properly because of the HDZ's boycotting their work. Seks asserted representatives of the six-party ruling coalition do not find any interest in taking part in the work of the Parliament and committees because, he claims, all important decisions are made at closed-door meetings among the six parties' leaders anyway. He recalled that the current ruling coalition, once the opposition, boycotted the work of the Parliament and committees almost the entire 1999, despite which the then ruling HDZ managed to ensure a quorum. The HDZ will assess and decide when its representatives will return to their parliament seats, Seks stressed. (hina) lml