HSP REJECTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR INCIDENT IN VUKOVAR

( Editorial: --> 2269 ) ZAGREB, Feb 16 (Hina) - The Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) on Monday energetically refuted all responsibility for an incident which occurred in Vukovar before the holding of Saturday's founding meeting of the local party branch. The HSP said its followers were only reacting to provocations by local Serbs. "We energetically reject the credibility of all allegations in the statement by the National Trust Establishment Committee on that incident," HSP president Anto Djapic told a press conference in Zagreb. "It was a premeditated attempt at disqualifying the HSP," Djapic said, adding that he expected the dismissal of the National Committee. He asserted that HSP supporters did not disturb public order and peace but only reacted to provocations by Serbs, who "greeted" the HSP convoy of vehicles with the Serb nationalistic three-fingered gesture, shouted insults and threw rocks towards them, albeit unsuccessfully. "Obviously we sounded our horns, but if someone had succeeded in throwing a single rock at us they would never be in a state to do it again," Djapic said. The HSP president insisted that the black flags of HOS (HSP paramilitary units), the songs its supporters sang and the Roman salute were not provocations, but, for example, the official receiving of the Bosnian Serb Prime Minister in Zagreb was. Party leaders also assessed as unacceptable the Croatian Interior Ministry (MUP) statement on Saturday's events. Djapic refuted several newspaper commentaries that his party's behaviour was devised to help the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and strengthen the governing party's negotiating position with the international community. "Those constructions are without foundation, because it is obviously clear to everyone that we are not in any coalition with the HDZ, especially not during the past six months," the HSP president said. (Hina) mm mb 161707 MET feb 98