BILL ON NATIONAL MINORITIES IN GOVERNMENT

ZAGREB, July 17 (Hina) - The presidents of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS) and the Croatian People's Party (HNS) as well as the presidents of the parliament committee for the Constitution, and Rule Book and the Judiciary committee discussed a bill on national minorities in Government House on Wednesday. #L# The president of the Liberal Party (LS) did not attend the meeting. Even though journalists guessed that they would discuss the constitution of the new government and it programme, HSS president Zlatko Tomcic and president of the Committee for the Constitution Mato Arlovic said that they only discussed the bill on minorities. Tomcic repeated that the outline of the new Government could be known in a few days and in any case before the extraordinary session of the parliament which, as he announced, could be convened late next week or the week following at the latest. Arlovic told journalists outside the government building that it was possible that the bill be passed through urgent procedure in two phases so it could be forwarded into the third reading. How the bill will be adopted depends on political negotiation, he added. He stressed that a high level of agreement had already been achieved with representatives of national minorities and party benches and it was possible for the government to suggest that the bill be accepted at the next session of the parliament. (hina) sp it