ROUND TABLE "WHAT KIND OF ELECTORAL LAW CROATIA NEEDS" ENDS

KOPRIVNICA, May 19 (Hina) - A two-day round-table conference "What Kind of Electoral Law Croatia Needs" ended in Koprivnica on Sunday with the conclusion that an electoral law should be passed by consensus of all parliamentary parties, with respecting suggestions of experts and organisations of the civil society, to achieve a stability of the electoral model for a long-term period. #L# The participants, including representatives of six parties, also warned that after the passing of the Constitution, some provisions of the current Electoral Law were unconstitutional. The conference was held with the support of the German liberal foundation "Friedrich Naumann" and the American National Democratic Institute (NDI). participating were representatives of the Liberal Party, Croatian Social Liberal Party, Croatian People's Party, Istrian Democratic Assembly, Primorje-Gorski Kotar Assembly and Slavonia-Baranja Croatian Party. According to suggestions made by the parties, the diaspora would have no special electoral units, national minorities would enjoy the principle of positive discrimination, electoral districts would have a criterion of a historic whole, and candidates a continuity of residence on the location of the electoral district for at least a year before running. The electoral law would envisage electoral coalitions, financing electoral campaigns should be transparent, and the legal possibility of freezing mandates should be rescinded, the participants said. A discussion on the electoral model and lists has been left for June. Representatives of the Liberal Party told today's news conference that the party advocated a proportional electoral system and the rescinding of bi-polarism of two strong parties with the aim of strengthening the centre, as well as a decrease of the electoral threshold. (hina) lml