FOUR VICE-PRESIDENTS OF CROATIAN PARLIAMENT ELECTED

ZAGREB, Dec 22 (Hina) - Luka Bebic and Darko Milinovic of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), Mato Arlovic of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Vesna Pusic of the Croatian People's Party (HNS) were elected vice-presidents of the Croatian parliament at an inaugural session on Monday. A fifth vice-president is to be elected at one of the following sessions.#L# Parliamentary opposition parties failed to reach an agreement on who should fill the post of fifth vice-president of parliament, whether it should be a representative of the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) or the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP). Under the Rules of Procedure, three of the five vice-presidents are proposed by the parliamentary majority and two by the minority, but the HDZ has agreed with other parties that the opposition should be given three vice-presidential posts. The HSP opposed this move and was the only party to vote against the HDZ-nominated vice-presidents. It abstained from the vote on the opposition vice-presidents. HSP deputy Miroslav Rozic demanded that it be established who made the parliamentary majority and who the minority as a precondition for electing parliament vice-presidents. Rozic claimed that the vice-presidents were elected in violation of the Rules of Procedure, which he said were interpreted arbitrarily. Josip Sesar, a former HDZ member of parliament, was elected parliament secretary, replacing Danica Orcic who had resigned. Branimir Glavas of the HDZ was elected chairman of the Elections and Appointments Committee and Bozidar Pankretic of the HSS his deputy. Members of the Committee were also appointed. This committee will nominate members of the Committee for the Constitution, the Rules of Procedure and the Political System and the Committee on Legislation in accordance with an agreement among the parties. (Hina) vm