RULING COALITION PREPARES RESPONSE TO OPPOSITION'S BOYCOTT

ZAGREB, June 30 (Hina) - The co-ordinating body of the ruling coalition benches on Monday decided that in the coming period parliament would vote on the agenda and discuss bills on Wednesdays in response to the announced boycott of opposition parties -- the HDZ, the HSLS, the DC, the HSP -- of the work of the parliament. #L# The leading opposition parties have recently decided to boycott the voting on bills in protest over the current situation in the Osijek- Baranja County's assembly. They, however, will take part in the voting on bills aimed at harmonising the Croatian legislation with the European Union's standards and on bills they have drawn up. The whip of the Social Democrats (SDP), Mato Arlovic, told reporters that coalition MPs would have to be more active not only during parliament sessions but also at meetings of parliamentary committees. The ruling benches agreed that they would endorse a package of laws relating to labour and social welfare, and amendments will not conceptually influence the contents of those bills, Arlovic said. Regardless of packages of laws which Croatia should harmonise with the EU legislation, the parliament will most probably not be in sitting after 15 July when its regular summer recess starts, and it is likely that there will be no extraordinary session until the beginning of September, he said. (hina) ms sb