ZAGREB, Oct 10 (Hina) - Representatives of minority clubs of deputies in the Croatian parliament have called on members of minorities to vote for minority rather than party candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
ZAGREB, Oct 10 (Hina) - Representatives of minority clubs of
deputies in the Croatian parliament have called on members of
minorities to vote for minority rather than party candidates in the
upcoming parliamentary elections. #L#
Addressing reporters on Friday, Italian minority representative
Furio Radin said that by "refusing to give an authentic
interpretation of the provision of the Election Law which
determines the number of votes a person is entitled to in an
election," the Constitutional Court had returned the issue of
positive discrimination of minorities "into the realm of political
bargaining".
Minorities have no other option but to seek protection for their
double-voting rights before the International Court for Human
Rights in Strasbourg, Radin said.
He added that theoretical discussions about the issue were
superfluous as the Constitution provided for double-voting rights,
which he said depended exclusively on political will.
Radin said he was not surprised at the opinion of parliamentary
committees on the Constitution and legislation, which denied
minorities the right to an additional vote.
"I am surprised that those who would profit most from that
calculation are challenging (that right)," said Radin, adding that
he was speaking about the ruling coalition.
Czech and Hungarian minority representatives Zdenka Cuhnil and
Tibor Santo warned that in their joint election programme from 2000
the parties of the ruling coalition had advocated protection of
national minorities and promised positive discrimination.
The Constitutional Court recently dismissed a request by minority
associations to determine if the law on the election of
parliamentary representatives was in line with the Constitution,
claiming that the article they were challenging guaranteed general
voting rights for all citizens, but without defining how many times
a person was entitled to vote in an election, which was left to
legislative bodies to decide.
The Sabor's Committee on the Constitution, Rule Book and the
Political System yesterday decided that members of national
minorities can vote only once in an election as in that way they are
equal to all other citizens.
(hina) rml