SOME CROATIAN MPS ADVOCATE CANCELLATION OF MILITARY SERVICE

ZAGREB, March 13 (Hina) - Ruling coalition parties and the Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS) said on Wednesday that a regulation on the cancellation of the compulsory military service should be included in a defence bill. Defence Minister Jozo Rados said the government avoided to include the regulation in the bill in order to avoid prejudging solutions before the final decision of competent state bodies. Representative of the Croatian People's Party and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) demanded of the government to immediately initiate the procedure on the cancellation of the compulsory military service, following the example of European countries. They dismissed arguments according to which the cancellation of the compulsory military service and complete professionlisation of the army would be too expensive considering the fact that a professional army has already been established in the Homeland War. They said the country will save over half a billion kuna per year by cancelling the compulsory military service. Damir Kajin of the IDS also advocated the cancellation of the compulsory military service. The Democratic Centre supports the bill in principle, while Anto Kovacevic of the Croatian Party of Rights/ Croatian Christian Democratic Union parliamentary bench believes MPs should discuss a Croatian National Defence Strategy first. The discussion on the national Defence Strategy was not held today for lack of a quorum. Croatian Democratic Union representatives criticised the government, saying that "10,000 Croatian soldiers will be laid off" according to the instruction of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). (hina) it sb