ZAGREB, Jan 24 (Hina) - Leadership of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) today informed a press conference that they have not managed to reach agreement with Opposition parties on who should be appointed as Zagreb Mayor, despite
'efforts by the HDZ'. The HDZ held that the session of the City Assembly, scheduled for today, had been called without consultations with the HDZ and without heeding the rules of procedure. The HDZ parliamentary bench would therefore decide shortly before the session whether to attend the session or not.
ZAGREB, Jan 24 (Hina) - Leadership of the Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ) today informed a press conference that they have not managed
to reach agreement with Opposition parties on who should be
appointed as Zagreb Mayor, despite 'efforts by the HDZ'.
The HDZ held that the session of the City Assembly, scheduled
for today, had been called without consultations with the HDZ and
without heeding the rules of procedure. The HDZ parliamentary bench
would therefore decide shortly before the session whether to attend
the session or not. #L#
HDZ vice president Ivic Pasalic said that 'through its
negotiating team the HDZ has sought from the beginning a way out
of the crisis by sticking to legal norms and trying to avoid the
obstruction of work of municipal authorities'.
Pasalic reiterated the names of three HDZ candidates and two
non-party candidates for the post of Zagreb City Mayor.
'We would like that the solution be found through a consensus
between all parties, but it's obvious that one extremist, radical
group within the Opposition, led by Stipe Mesic, Josip Manolic and
Dobroslav Paraga, does not want a solution to be found, and this
reminds of the already seen scenario aimed at instigating a
parliamentary crisis', Pasalic said.
'We know that Drazen Budisa has insisted that the new
Opposition candidate for the post of Zagreb Mayor be exactly Stipe
Mesic, in order to provoke a new act of non-confirmation of Zagreb
Mayor'.
Everything the HDZ had been warning of had come true, and that
was that the alliance of seven Opposition parties was an unnatural
and heterogeneous group which became divided by a conflict of
interests.
'This shows that their authority in Zagreb would be very
unstable', Pasalic concluded.
'The keys to possible new elections in Zagreb are in the hands
of the Opposition, which, however, is divided in two streams. It is
encouraging that the stream which is ready to negotiate, is
becoming stronger. The Opposition is being forced into new
elections by small parties, while the parties which have greater
number of councilors are show readiness to negotiate', Pasalic
said.
(hina) rm jn
241729 MET jan 96