ZAGREB, Jan 25 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament on Friday wrapped up the second week of its 19th session with a debate about the implementation of the Law on the Rights of Croatian Soldiers and Their Family Members. This week the
parliament also adopted changes to the Law on Areas of Special State Concern, the Law on the Corruption and Organised Crime Prevention Office (USKOK) and the Law on Juvenile Courts. The issue of employment of former soldiers has remained open due to problems in the implementation of the old law and the national programme of employment of soldiers, War Veterans' Minister Ivica Pancic said presenting a report on the implementation of the Law on the Rights of Croatian Soldiers in the first half of last year. Pancic says one of the reasons for the current situation is lack of communication between institutions in charge of the employment of soldiers, lack of interest of economic subjects, and t
ZAGREB, Jan 25 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament on Friday wrapped up
the second week of its 19th session with a debate about the
implementation of the Law on the Rights of Croatian Soldiers and
Their Family Members. This week the parliament also adopted changes
to the Law on Areas of Special State Concern, the Law on the
Corruption and Organised Crime Prevention Office (USKOK) and the
Law on Juvenile Courts.
The issue of employment of former soldiers has remained open due to
problems in the implementation of the old law and the national
programme of employment of soldiers, War Veterans' Minister Ivica
Pancic said presenting a report on the implementation of the Law on
the Rights of Croatian Soldiers in the first half of last year.
Pancic says one of the reasons for the current situation is lack of
communication between institutions in charge of the employment of
soldiers, lack of interest of economic subjects, and the soldiers
being uninformed about their rights.
MPs warned that the report was belated, stressing the situation had
changed considerably after the adoption of the current law last
autumn.
The whereabouts of 1,450 missing soldiers are still not known and
there is no information on how far the process of providing them
with accommodation has progressed, the MPs warned, demanding that
those who made statements about a large number of false disabled war
veterans apologise because a revision of their status had shown
that the degree of disability had decreased by a mere two percent on
average.
The deputies, particularly those from the Opposition, also
criticised changes to the Law on Areas of Special State Concern,
which should facilitate the completion of the process of
repossession of property - houses and flats currently occupied
mostly by refugees from Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The changes are the result of constant pressures of the
international community on Croatia to return the houses and flats
of Serb refugees, without taking into consideration the fate of
exiled Croats, claims the Opposition, objecting to a regulation on
temporary accommodation for Bosnian Croat refugees.
All MPs objected to a bill on prize games ban on soccer betting and
prize games in the media.
The bans are questionable because they limit entrepreneurial
freedoms, the MPs warned, requesting that the government clarify
the purpose of the ban or withdraw its proposal.
A number of deputies accused Deputy Prime Minister Slavko Linic of
having imposed those measures and claimed the government was trying
to disqualify the competition and increase the Croatian Lottery's
profits.
The parliament today adopted a new law on ID cards. Under the new
law, the format of the new ID cards will be smaller and their issuing
will start on January 1 next year.
Despite the government's proposal that the personal identification
number be deleted from the new IDs, the personal identification
number will be retained.
The MPs said that passports still included the personal
identification number, which was why it should be retained in IDs as
well until uniform regulations for all documents were adopted.
Photos will be scanned onto the new ID card and not glued,
information on the card will be in Croatian and English and the
languages of national minorities, if so required by minority
representatives.
The parliament adopted changes to the Law on Juvenile Courts, which
stipulate additional protection for children in court proceedings.
It also adopted changes to the Law on the Corruption and Organised
Crime Prevention Office (USKOK), which will be dealing with
investigations into organised crime exclusively. The regulation
under which the security check-up of investigating judges could be
performed only with their consent has been deleted from the law.
The parliament adopted with a majority vote a Law on Co-operatives,
which is aimed at creating conditions for the organisation of an
umbrella association - the Croatian Association of Co-operatives.
Also adopted was a national strategy of environmental protection
and a report on the movement of prices of agricultural products in
2001.
(hina) sb rml