NEW SERB PARTY FOUNDED IN BARANJA

( Editorial: --> 3221 ) BELI MANASTIR, Sept 25 (Hina) - A new Serb party in Croatia - the Serb Democratic Party of Baranja (SDBS) - was founded on Friday in Beli Manastir. The new party's president will be the current president of the initiating committee, Ljubomir Mijatovic. Mijatovic said that the new party would be a democratic party and that it would cooperate with other Serb and Croatian parties keeping in mind the multi-ethnic nature of the Baranja region. He said that the party emerged as a result of the wishes of the people who wanted to preserve their identity and tradition. The party programme noted that the SDBS would work to preserve and develop the Serb national identity in Croatia as well as integrate it into Croatian society. The party will also support Croatia's integration into international organisations which are of interest to its citizens. The new party was welcomed by Osijek County deputy prefect Mirko Blagojevic and Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) county committee representative Ivica Zavrski. Although members of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) were invited to attend the founding assembly, they did not arrive. (Hina) sp/rml 252150 MET sep 98