ZAGREB, Feb 18 (Hina) - The chairman of the Croatian parliament's Committee on Human and Minority Rights, Furio Radin, said at talks with OSCE officials on Wednesday that the new government had a better relationship with national
minorities than the previous one, but voiced dissatisfaction with the way by-elections for minority councils were conducted, the parliament said in a statement.
ZAGREB, Feb 18 (Hina) - The chairman of the Croatian parliament's
Committee on Human and Minority Rights, Furio Radin, said at talks
with OSCE officials on Wednesday that the new government had a better
relationship with national minorities than the previous one, but
voiced dissatisfaction with the way by-elections for minority councils
were conducted, the parliament said in a statement.#L#
During the meeting with the OSCE's high commissioner for national
minorities, Rolf Ekeus, and the head of the OSCE Mission to Croatia,
Peter Semneby, Radin said the new government had shown much more
openness towards national minorities than the previous one and had
therefore received their support, but he criticised lack of more
active engagement of the state and minorities regarding the education
of voters and election financing, which resulted in the low turnout at
the recent by-elections.
Since the legitimacy of minority councils depends on the voter
turnout, Radin will propose that the next elections for minority
councils be held simultaneously with local elections as well as that
the parliament adopt a law on the election of a minority council.
"The councils of national minorities are a very important institution
because they represent a necessary mechanism for the protection and
exercising of minority rights," Radin said.
(Hina) rml sb