ZAGREB, March 11 (Hina) - On Wednesday Croatia's parliament will debate four election bills moved by the Social Democrats (SDP), the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS), the Democratic Centre (DC), and a joint one by Damir Kajin of the
Istrian Democratic Assembly and Zlatko Kramaric of the Liberal Party.
ZAGREB, March 11 (Hina) - On Wednesday Croatia's parliament will
debate four election bills moved by the Social Democrats (SDP), the
Croatian Peasant Party (HSS), the Democratic Centre (DC), and a
joint one by Damir Kajin of the Istrian Democratic Assembly and
Zlatko Kramaric of the Liberal Party. #L#
After the debate it will finally be clear if Croatia will hold the
next parliamentary ballot under a completely new or under the
amended autumn 1999 election law.
The ruling coalition has failed to agree on a joint motion, so the
SDP and the HSS have moved their own, very different bills.
The SDP seeks that Croatia be a single constituency which would
elect 120 MPs, and advocates three seats for the diaspora whose MPs
would be elected from election lists and not from a separate
constituency.
The HSS is proposing a mixed system, with 65 MPs to be elected from
lists and 65 in electoral units. The diaspora would have at least
three MPs elected in a separate constituency -- one for Europe, one
for the Americas, and one for Australia. The diaspora would include
all Croats residing outside the country, with the exception of
Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The DC motion foresees electing 120 MPs from six constituencies.
The diaspora would have a separate electoral unit and its
representatives would be elected by the non-fixed quota system,
i.e. their number would depend on the turnout within and without
Croatia.
The aforementioned bills propose eight seats in the Sabor for
national minorities, in compliance with the constitutional law on
minorities' rights.
All bills are in favour of a five percent electoral threshold.
Kajin and Kramaric believe the current election law needs only
technical adjustments with changes that were made to the
Constitution and the recently amended constitutional law on
minorities' rights.
In this respect, Prime Minister Ivica Racan yesterday announced the
government might move its own bill which would constitute just such
technical adjustments.
The current election law divides Croatia into ten constituencies
which elect 140 MPs, and envisages separate electoral units for the
diaspora and national minorities. Minorities have five seats in the
Sabor, while the diaspora has six -- elected by the non-fixed quota
principle. The electoral threshold is five percent.
In light of Racan's announcement and the fact that the
constitutional deadline for adopting a new election law expires on
April 2, the next ballot will most likely be held under the amended
current law.
(hina) ha sb