ZAGREB, Feb 16 (Hina) - Deputies at the first congress of the Croatian Romany on Sunday put forward proposals for the solution of problems affecting the Romany community and elected representatives for cooperation with the parliament,
government and ministries.
ZAGREB, Feb 16 (Hina) - Deputies at the first congress of the
Croatian Romany on Sunday put forward proposals for the solution of
problems affecting the Romany community and elected
representatives for cooperation with the parliament, government
and ministries. #L#
Around 200 representatives of Romany associations attended the
two-day congress.
The basic problem of the Romany minority are difficulties in
obtaining citizenship, which leads to other problems, such as the
impossibility of getting an education or a job, and acquiring the
right to social and health care, said Alija Mesic, president of the
Association of the Romany of Zagreb and Zagreb County, which
organised the congress.
To resolve the citizenship problem, Romany associations have
proposed setting up a task force which would list all the Romany who
meet conditions to be granted citizenship but have still not been
granted it. The task force would hold meetings with representatives
of the Interior Ministry at least twice a year and advocate the
return of the Romany who left Croatia at the beginning of the war.
The Romany have also urged the state to finance the pre-school and
primary education of their children and introduce optional Romany
history and culture classes for non-Romany children. They have also
sought child allowances for primary school children and better
prevention and education programmes in the health sector.
The associations urge the government, to which they will send their
conclusions, to improve housing conditions in Romany settlements,
facilitate their communication with the authorities and invest
more in cultural and media projects concerning the Romany community
and improve its media coverage.
Alija Mesic was elected representative for cooperation with the
government's Office for National Minorities and Council for
National Minorities, which is to be set up soon in line with the
recently amended law on minority rights. The council will be in
charge of allocating funds intended for minorities.
Also elected were representatives for cooperation with the
parliament's sub-committee on minorities and committee on human
and minority rights.
(hina) rml