WAR VETERANS, WIDOWS TO COMPLAIN TO STRASBOURG HUMAN RIGHTS COURT

ZAGREB, July 1 (Hina) - The Zagreb branches of the Association of Homeland War Widows and the Association of Disabled Homeland War Veterans (HVIDR) said on Monday they would complain to the International Human Rights Court in Strasbourg because the Croatian Constitutional Court discontinued proceedings which were to establish the constitutionality of changes to the Law on the Execution of the 2001 State Budget, which drastically reduced veterans' rights. #L# Irena Durbeta of the Widows' Association said that the Constitutional Court cited Article 56 of the Constitutional Court Law to explain its ruling. The said article stipulates that proceedings for establishing the constitutionality of a law can be discontinued if the Court judges that reasons for establishing its constitutionality have ceased to exist. The Constitutional Court believes that the Law on the Execution of the 2001 Budget has ceased to be valid and that there is no longer need for establishing its constitutionality. Durbeta says the Constitutional Court does not have the right to decide on its own if the said article will be applied or not, but is obliged to establish if a law is in line with the Constitution if a request to that effect has been submitted on time. She said the two associations had submitted such requests on time, and added that the Constitutional Court's ruling was not legal. The two associations have therefore decided to ask the International Court in Strasbourg for help, Durbeta said, announcing possible protests. Commenting on polls according to which one fourth of all veterans would not go to war again today and on daily reports of veteran suicides, Zagreb HVIDR president Ivan Pandza said the main reason for this was the treatment of the veterans. (hina) rml