ZAGREB, July 9 (Hina) - The bill on same-sex partnerships was endorsed by most party benches in the Croatian parliament on Wednesday, while opposition parties -- HDZ, HB, HSP/HKDU -- opposed its adoption.
ZAGREB, July 9 (Hina) - The bill on same-sex partnerships was
endorsed by most party benches in the Croatian parliament on
Wednesday, while opposition parties -- HDZ, HB, HSP/HKDU -- opposed
its adoption. #L#
"This is destruction of the foundations of the Croatian family and
state, surgery on the values of the Homeland Defence War and values
of the Christian family," said Anto Kovacevic of the Croatian Party
of Rights/Christian Democratic Union (HSP/HKDU) bench. Kovacevic
believes that the legalisation of same-sex partnerships is a blow
to the national birth rate.
Mladen Godek of the Libra bench opposed Kovacevic and called on
other MPs to abandon hypocrisy given that homosexuality, as he
said, was not an invention of this century and this nation.
Zdravka Busic of the Croatian Bloc (HB) said the bill failed to
respect arguments from the history, culture, mentality and customs
of the Croatian people. It also failed to respect the fact that 86
percent of Croatian citizens declared themselves Catholics, she
added.
Ljubica Lalic of the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) maintains that
the bill will copy solutions referring to heterosexual common law
marriages and thus bring same-sex partnerships closer to the
institution of marriage.
The bench of the Social Liberals (HSLS) believes that the bill is a
step forward to European standards in the respect for human rights,
said Djurdja Adlesic, who voiced hope that the adoption of the law
would help reduce animosity towards homosexuals.
(hina) ms sb