(13 Dec 1999) Natural Sound
Tens of thousands of Croatians are expected to attend Monday's burial of Franjo Tudjman, the late president who led the country to independence from Yugoslavia.
Monday has been proclaimed a holiday and public transport declared free for the day, so Croats across the country can attend the funeral.
Tudjman is to be buried at the main cemetery in Zagreb, where his massive black granite tombstone will dominate an area dedicated to distinguished Croatian historic figures.
Croatians on Monday prepared for the burial of Franjo Tudjman.
Final touches were being put into place at the main cemetery and grave site where the funeral ceremony will take place.
The funeral is expected to draw tens of thousands of citizens from across the country to the capital.
But foreign representation is low-key, with few countries sending heads of state or government to the funeral, in an apparent reflection of the criticism that Tudjman's authoritarian style of government has generated.
With the death of Franjo Tudjman, a symbol of Croatian independence, some believe his party's eight-year grip on power will soon end.
But others believe Monday's burial of Tudjman and the patriotic emotions it stirs will help the Croatian Democratic Union at the polls.
Tudjman died late Friday at age 77 after a six-week battle with what was described as an abdominal illness.
It is rumoured he had been suffering from stomach cancer since 1996.
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