SABOR DISCONTINUES SESSION DUE TO INDEPENDENT MP'S CONDUCT

ZAGREB, April 2 (Hina) - Wednesday's sitting of the Croatian parliament was discontinued twice due to the conduct of independent MP Ivo Loncar, who accused parliament president Zlatko Tomcic who chaired the session of "violating the Rule Book" and the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) deputy Luka Trconic of being "a long-standing UDBA (former Yugoslav secret service) member". #L# After a vote on changes to the Election Law, Ljubo Cesic Rojs of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) said he wanted to inform Tomcic of "allegations about Croatia being threatened by Republika Srpska intelligence services". Tomcic warned him that he was violating the Rule Book and that he could give him the information later, which is when Loncar joined in the discussion, claiming Cesic had been unfairly ruled out of order and that it was Tomcic who was violating the Rule Book. The ensuing debate between Tomcic and Loncar on who of the two of them was breaching parliament's rule book ended in Tomcic ruling Loncar out of order and ordering him out of the chamber after their debate turned into an argument. As Loncar refused to leave the chamber, Tomcic ordered a half-an- hour break. After the break, Loncar returned to the chamber with other deputies, holding up a platelet with the phrase Violation of the Rule Book on it. Tomcic ignored this and opened a debate on the Social Liberals' draft changes to the Law on the Identification Number and ID Card. "Don't act so arrogantly and protect the dignity of the Sabor," Loncar shouted from his bench. Tomcic then decided that Loncar should be excluded from the session, while HSS's Trconic requested a break until 3 p.m. remarking that "Loncar obviously needs more time to collect himself". "What gives the long-standing UDBA member the right to insult me," Loncar replied, calling on other MPs to speak up as the same could happen to them. (hina) rml sb