HSLS MP SKRABALO CALLS ON PARTY PRESIDENT BUDISA TO RESIGN

ZAGREB, July 5 (Hina) - A representative of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) in the parliament, Ivo Skrabalo, on Thursday night called on the party's president and Executive Council to resign, as he believed that their conduct harmed the party's reputation. #L# "The party has lost much on the so-called political market, and has a low ranking among voters and in the public, and I think if somebody should step down those are Budisa and the Executive Council. President Budisa should this time give his resignation which will really be irrevocable," Skrabalo was quoted by the Croatian Television as saying. "I am very surprised by the news that Budisa, in capacity of the president and in accordance with possibilities stipulated by the HSLS party's statute, signed a demand for the ouster of me and my five colleagues who yesterday (on Wednesday) voted according to our conscience and assessment for the ratification of the Krsko agreement," the HSLS parliamentarian said. He said he was shocked by the fact that members of the HSLS parliamentary bench had last Friday followed the order of the party's president Budisa not to enter the parliament's hall when the vote on the ratification of the Croatian-Slovene agreement should have taken place. Budisa has no powers to impose the order on the bench to obstruct the work of a democratic institution by making it impossible for the parliament to have a quorum, Skrabalo said adding that the bench had betrayed the party's basic principles with such a move. Skrabalo is one of the six HSLS MPs who voted in favour of the ratification, although, the party leadership insisted on the refusal of the agreement. A local HSLS branch where Skrabalo and another two 'insubordinate' party members belong, on Thursday launched the disciplinary procedure against them. (hina) ms