ZAGREB, Jan 29 (Hina) - The Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) bench in parliament requested at the start of Wednesday's sitting that Defence Minister Zeljka Antunovic urgently address the parliament and inform it about the security
situation in the army.
ZAGREB, Jan 29 (Hina) - The Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) bench in
parliament requested at the start of Wednesday's sitting that
Defence Minister Zeljka Antunovic urgently address the parliament
and inform it about the security situation in the army. #L#
Party whip Anto Djapic said that the situation in the army was
important for the country's security and called on the minister to
submit a detailed report.
The HSP's request was prompted by a letter a retired high-ranking
Air Force officer sent last week to the parliament, the government
and the president's office, claiming the situation in the air force
was unsatisfactory.
"These are issues which alarm the Croatian public because generals
are writing to PMs, committees and the media, air force pilots are
on a silent strike and the defence minister is threatening to
prosecute officers and journalists," Djapic said.
Parliament president Zlatko Tomcic said the topic was very
sensitive and called on Djapic to give up the request for a
parliamentary debate and meet behind closed doors with the minister
and members of the parliamentary national security committee,
which Djapic accepted. The letter Djapic referred to was read at a
closed session of the parliamentary committee yesterday.
This was confirmed to reporters by committee chairman Ante Markov
who said the document was classified as military secret and he
therefore could not comment on its contents or say who wrote it.
The parliament today endorsed a bill on family, marriage and
common-law relationships, which was discussed in the first reading
last week.
Croatian Peasant Party whip Luka Trconic said his party would give
up its request that same-sex relationships be regulated by a
special law if the government adopted a conclusion to that effect in
the final draft. If it does not do so, the HSS will not support the
adoption of the law, he added.
The parliament also supported a bill on the prevention of domestic
violence in the first reading and a law on protection against
noise.
The parliament continued the session with a debate on a draft
strategy on the development of science in Croatia.
(hina) rml