ZAGREB, Feb 2 (Hina) - Croatia has not yet adopted a law preventing conflict of interest and experts estimate the law could be adopted only after the next parliamentary elections.
ZAGREB, Feb 2 (Hina) - Croatia has not yet adopted a law preventing
conflict of interest and experts estimate the law could be adopted
only after the next parliamentary elections. #L#
The adoption of this law is one of Croatia's obligations taken over
with international conventions on the prevention of corruption.
The parliament is again debating the bill in the first reading. Its
transitional provisions envisage that five important articles will
go into force six months after the law becomes effective.
This would enable the postponement of several provisions. One of
them is a provision under which state officials must declare their
property and the property of their spouse and children within 30
days from taking up office. This also refers to a provision which
limits the value of presents to state officials to 500 kuna and
binds them to report any present worth more than 500 kuna.
The transitional provisions would also postpone a ban on membership
in supervisory and management boards and the obligation to transfer
ownership of a company to a third person. Last but not least, they
would also postpone the obligation to report any income that is not
one's regular salary within 15 days from its receipt.
The ruling coalition-sponsored bill on conflict of interest was
discussed in the first reading in March 2001 but it was not sent into
the second reading because the Social Liberals, at the time members
of the coalition, requested that it be withdrawn from procedure.
The bill is again in the first reading because the six-month
deadline for sending it into the second reading had expired. It is
expected that after it passes two readings, the bill will be adopted
by June this year.
The mandate of the current parliament expires in March next year,
but officials of the ruling coalition have indicated the
possibility of an early election.
Parliament failed on several occasions to adopt the law preventing
conflict of interest. The parliament's conclusion on the adoption
of a code of conduct of state officials from 1993, proposed by
Liberal Ivo Skrabalo, was never implemented.
A bill on conflict of interest by the HDZ's Vladimir Seks from 1996
passed only the first reading. A less strict version of the bill was
partially integrated into the Law on the Obligations and Rights of
State Officials.
However, its application was reduced to the declaration of assets
at the start and end of the mandate, without any control mechanisms
or consequences for any official.
(hina) rml