The draft decision was endorsed by parliamentary deputies of the People's Party (HNS), the Istrian Democratic Party (IDS), the Primorje-Gorski Kotar Alliance (PGS), the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS), the Croatian Party of Slavonia and Baranja (SBHS) and the Medjimurje Democratic Alliance (MDS).
The SDP said in a statement the reason behind the draft decision was to provide for the punishment of perpetrators of grave crimes in ownership transformation and privatisation as well as crimes of abuse related to Croatia's defence, and to provide for tax mechanisms to return part of unfairly allocated social wealth to the social community.
The aim of the draft decision is to incorporate in Croatia's Constitution Article 7 Paragraph 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, Article 15 Paragraph 2 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and principles of the 1968 Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity, which the strongest opposition party said were all international legal instruments binding for Croatia.
The statement recalled that the State Audit Office had established 1,936 irregularities in ownership transformation and privatisation and in operations of companies disappeared in privatisation.
The SDP recalled that 1,048 persons had been reported between 1991 and mid-2005 for unlawful activities in ownership transformation and privatisation, and that prosecutors' offices dismissed 401 reports, directly accused 41 and demanded an investigation of 384 persons.
After investigation, 298 persons were indicted while the case was dropped against 86 persons due to insufficient evidence. Courts handed down 141 decisions, convicting only 41.5% of those accused, the SDP said, adding that of 78 convictions, only nine persons were sentenced to unconditional imprisonment.
The SDP announced in mid-June it would initiate changing the Constitution as a national project in which partnership would be offered to all parties with a view to establishing a just Croatia. The party described the repealing of the ownership transformation and privatisation audit law as a bad move on the ruling party's part.