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Zagreb - Deputy Parliament Speaker Željko Reiner on Wednesday called on members of Parliament to remember two important anniversaries - the 75th anniversary of an outbreak of prisoners from the Jasenovac concentration camp and the 30th anniversary of the first multi-party elections in Croatia.
The entire state leadership is in Jasenovac today to commemorate the victims of the camp. Let us remember them with respect, Reiner told MPs at the beginning of this week's parliamentary sitting.
30 years since first multi-party elections
Reiner also recalled that 30 years ago the first round of the first free, multi-party election was held in Croatia.
That election marked the start of a new chapter in Croatia's history and launched the process of its becoming an independent state, said Reiner.
The first round of elections for the then tricameral Parliament was held on April 22-23, 1990, and the second round on May 6-7, the parliament said earlier in the day.
The elections were preceded by two important events in February 1990 - the registration of new political parties and the adoption of new constitutional amendments legalising multi-party elections.
Thirty-three parties and 16 associations with 1,705 candidates competed for 351 seats in the Parliament.
The elections were won by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), which secured 42% of the vote and 205 parliamentary seats.
The Communist Alliance of Croatia - Party of Democratic Change came in second, with 26% of the vote and 107 seats, the Coalition of People's Accord won 15% of the vote and 21 seats, and the Serb Democratic Party was fourth, with 1.6% of the vote and 5 seats.
The remaining 13 seats went to independent deputies and representatives of ethnic minorities.
Based on the election result, the first multi-party Parliament was formed on May 30, 1990.