Although opposition parties supported the government-sponsored bill on the matter, they accused the Ivo Sanader cabinet of stealing a great part of the bill from proposals perviously moved by the opposition, which the ruling majority in the parliament turned down.
Under the government-sponsored bill, leasees who regularly meet their financial obligations under the lease contract, which will expiry at the end of this year, will be given priority rights to extend the contract on condition that they send their bids after their invitation and accept the initial amount of the rental fee.
The opposition parties supported the idea, which they said could improve the position of craftsmen and small entrepreneurs using those premises.
Opposition MPs, however, claimed the almost whole idea was stolen from the Peasant Party (HSS) which was then supported by other opposition parties, but it was in vain as the proposal was turned down by the parliamentary majority.
The amendments should help craftsmen, including some 1,400 of them in Zagreb whose lease contracts expire this year.