ZAGREB, Feb 23 (Hina) - The club of parliamentary deputies of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has announced that it will propose a parliamentary debate on the work of the Sabor in light of the recent statements of the parliament
president that he will not allow the Sabor to turn into a chat room.
ZAGREB, Feb 23 (Hina) - The club of parliamentary deputies of the
Social Democratic Party (SDP) has announced that it will propose a
parliamentary debate on the work of the Sabor in light of the recent
statements of the parliament president that he will not allow the
Sabor to turn into a chat room.#L#
The SDP leader Ivica Racan said on Monday that Vladimir Seks's
statement reflected a possibility of "undermining the level reached so
far in the political and parliamentary life of Croatia," and added
that "the SDP will not acquiesce to such attempts".
Racan told a news conference he held in the parliament building that
during the previous Sabor, the Croatian Democratic Party (HDZ), which
was then in opposition, launched many debates on many political
topics, including four discussions on cooperation with the Hague-based
UN war crimes tribunal.
At the time nobody thought of labelling it as a chat room or as
wasting the parliament's time," Racan said.
The SDP leader said his party would support the draft state budget if
it assessed it as realistic.
"But, we are not going to support it, If the budget would be
politicised, what the government has been doing recently, accusing the
former government of limiting the budgetary funds through debts,"
Racan said.
Asked to comment on the announced 'conditional avis', namely the
European Commission's opinion, which Croatia could be given, the SDP
chief said he was sure that Croatia would receive a positive avis, but
credit for this should go to the former rather than the current
government.
"The credit for it goes to the former government, and (Premier Ivo)
Sanader should not wear borrowed plumes," Racan said adding that the
current authorities would be responsible for when Croatia would be
given a status of candidate for full membership in the European Union
and when it would start negotiations on the matter.
The leader of the strongest opposition party said that the Ivo Sanader
Cabinet also would have to prove its credibility before the
Hague-based UN tribunal through bids to solve the case of the fugitive
general Ante Gotovina. Racan also assessed that the announced changes
in the staff of intelligence agencies could not solve the problem.
(Hina) ms sb