ZAGREB, March 30 (Hina) - In 2003 the Croatian ombudsman received 2,389 complaints, which is an increase of 53 percent in relation to 2002, and processed 3,068 cases.
ZAGREB, March 30 (Hina) - In 2003 the Croatian ombudsman received 2,389
complaints, which is an increase of 53 percent in relation to 2002,
and processed 3,068 cases.#L#
The reason for the increase in complaints is the fact that the
ombudsman toured the country so citizens were able to meet him and his
associates, reads the ombudsman's 2003 report.
A total of 774 persons sought assistance at meetings with the
ombudsman, which resulted in 641 new complaints.
Along with the 2,389 new complaints, the ombudsman worked on 679
complaints that were transferred from previous years, of which 450
were solved.
Complaints were sent from all over Croatia, mostly from Zagreb, Knin,
Korenica, Donji Lapac, Split, etc.
A total of 277 persons filed complaints from 80 places in Serbia and
Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Germany, the United States, and New
Zealand.
Most complaints referred to social security, i.e. pension and health
insurance, and property and housing rights.
A total of 190 complaints referred to the violation of housing rights
and part of them were sent from Serbia and Montenegro and
Bosnia-Herzegovina, mostly by the tenants of flats once owned by the
former Yugoslav People's Army.
The ombudsman's position on this matter is that tenants who left
Croatia without good reason (for example, to join the enemy forces)
and of their own free will, would not have the right to any type of
financial compensation, even if a relevant regulation is adopted. The
reason for this is the fact that housing-related legislation in the
former Yugoslavia envisaged the loss of tenancy rights in cases when
tenants did not use apartments without good reason for at least six
months, and explicitly banned trade in tenancy rights, the report
reads.
The number of complaints filed by war veterans and victims rose from
134 in 2002 to 371 in 2003.
These complaints accounted for almost one-fifth of all complaints.
Last year 101 complaints regarding zoning, construction and
environmental protection were filed.
Only 13 citizens complained about the work of police and about their
personal security.
In recent years Croatia has taken a number of steps to ensure respect
for human rights, but it still faces many challenges, Klaric said.
(Hina) rml