ZAGREB, Dec 21 (Hina) - Croatian parliamentary opposition parties on Sunday failed to reach an agreement on the distribution of leading posts on four parliamentary committees and the post of third vice-president of the
parliament.
ZAGREB, Dec 21 (Hina) - Croatian parliamentary opposition parties on
Sunday failed to reach an agreement on the distribution of leading
posts on four parliamentary committees and the post of third
vice-president of the parliament. #L#
Following four and a half hours of talks at the government
headquarters in Zagreb, Mato Arlovic of the Social Democratic Party
(SDP) told reporters that the meeting would continue on Monday and
after that, because some parties had to convene their working bodies
to discuss the matter.
Arlovic said that participants failed to agree on the post of chairman
of the Legislation Committee. Asked about the possibility of the
opposition leaving the post to the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ)
unless it reached an agreement, Arlovic replied that everything was
possible.
The parties reached an agreement in principle on the number and ratio
of members of the opposition on committees important for the inaugural
and first extraordinary session of parliament scheduled for Monday.
The composition of the Committee on Legislation, the Committee for the
Constitution and the Rules of Procedure, the Elections and
Appointments Committee, and the Credentials and Immunities Commission
reflects that of the new Sabor.
Despite differing views, it is believed that the opposition will reach
an agreement on the chairmen and members of the four committees before
the extraordinary session of parliament, which is expected to discuss
crucial laws for the reorganisation of the government.
Speaking of three posts of vice-president of parliament, Arlovic said
that there was a possibility of them being divided among the SDP, the
People's Party (HNS) and the Peasant Party (HSS), taking into
consideration the number of seats these parties had won in the
November 23 election.
He declined to comment on a request by the Party of Rights (HSP) that
the post of third parliamentary vice-president be given to it rather
than to the HSS.
Arlovic said that the opposition had not yet received from the HDZ
amendments to the laws on the government, state administration,
ministries and administrative organisations on the basis of which the
HDZ was planning to restructure the government.
"We don't know when the opposition will get those bills. We haven't
seen them yet. It's all behind schedule a bit, and we find it a bit
irresponsible on the eve of the inaugural and first working session of
parliament," he said.
(Hina) vm