ZAGREB, Feb 24 (Hina) - The chairman of the parliament's Committee on the Constitution and Political System presented at a committee session on Monday his proposal on changes to the Law on the Election of Parliamentary
Representatives, envisaging the reduction of the number of MPs, the cancellation of the Diaspora list and the introduction of open rosters.
ZAGREB, Feb 24 (Hina) - The chairman of the parliament's Committee
on the Constitution and Political System presented at a committee
session on Monday his proposal on changes to the Law on the Election
of Parliamentary Representatives, envisaging the reduction of the
number of MPs, the cancellation of the Diaspora list and the
introduction of open rosters. #L#
Mato Arlovic hoped his proposal would contribute to adjusting
stands and enable the committee to put forward a single election
bill since the Peasant Party and the Democratic Centre put forward
their own proposals.
The committee should discuss the three drafts next week, Arlovic
said.
Arlovic proposes electing 120 parliamentary deputies instead of
the current 151 as envisaged by the existing election law from
October 1999. The deputies would be elected in ten constituencies,
as is the case now, but instead of 14, 12 deputies would be elected.
They would be elected in line with the proportional system from
"open rosters", i.e. apart from voting for a certain list, the
electorate would also be able to vote for individual candidates on
the list.
Croatian citizens who have the citizenship of another country and
reside outside Croatia would have the right to vote under the same
conditions as Croatian citizens, so the Diaspora list would be
cancelled. Those citizens would have to have permanent residence in
Croatia and would be able to put up their candidacy in any party or
independent list. Citizens in the constituency where such
candidates have residence would be able to vote for them.
Three or five deputies would be elected in this way and if they are
not elected from party or independent lists, they would be elected
subsequently from lists which have won the most votes in most
constituencies.
Arlovic also proposes that minorities elect eight parliamentary
representatives in a separate constituency.
Serbs would elect three deputies, Hungarians and Italians each one,
Bosniaks, Montenegrins, Macedonians and Slovenes together one,
Czechs and Slovaks together one, and Austrians, Germans,
Ruthanians, Ukrainians and Jews one deputy.
An alternative proposal is expanding the group with Czechs and
Slovaks with Poles, Romany and Russians and the last and largest
group with Albanians, Bulgarians, Romanians, Turks and Vlachs.
Arlovic further proposes that election campaign funds be limited to
15 million kuna and that deputies not be allowed to hold the posts of
mayor or deputy mayor, or work as professionals in the executive
bodies of local self-government, councillors and active military
personnel.
The committee today endorsed with the majority of votes government-
sponsored changes to the Law on the Election of Representative
Bodies of Units of Local and Regional Self-Government and forwarded
it into urgent parliament procedure.
The bill envisages minority representation in local representative
bodies as envisaged by the Constitutional Law on Minority Rights.
(hina) rml