DUBROVNIK HAS A MAYORESS FOR THE FIRST TIME - HDZ'S DUBRAVKA SUICA

DUBROVNIK, Oct 16 (Hina) - As of Tuesday, the southern Adriatic town of Dubrovnik has a female mayor for the first time in history, Dubravka Suica of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), the strongest opposition party. Srecko Kljunak of the South Croatian Party (JHS) and Frano Matusic of the HDZ were elected deputy mayors at today's constituent session of the town council, held after a repeated September local ballot. Nikola Obuljen of the opposition's Democratic Centre (DC) was elected town council president. The council includes ten HDZ deputies, seven from the ruling coalition's Social Democrats (SDP), five from the Dubrovnik Agreement coalition, two JHS deputies and one from the DC. In a secret vote, the HDZ-DC town council president candidate Obuljen won 13 votes against 12 won by Djuro Kolic, the Dubrovnik Agreement-SDP candidate. Suica is the head of the HDZ's Dubrovnik branch, an MP, and chairwoman of parliament's Family, Youth, and Sports Committee. (hina) ha sb