PARL. COMMITTEE BACKS HSP MOVE ON LAW ON TRANSFER OF AUTHORITY

ZAGREB, Oct 1 (Hina) - The Croatian Parliamentary Committee for Legislature on Monday endorsed a Croatian Party of Rights' (HSP) bill in the first reading on the transfer of authority, which suggests mechanisms for the regular functioning of the state administration during authority transfer, and sets an exact level by which officials would be replaced on political lines, while the other state officials, as an expert part of the apparatus, would be protected from political personnel changes. #L# The government announced that it was preparing a law to that effect. On behalf of the HSP, Tonci Tadic said he hoped full parliamentary consensus would be achieved for the bill, and agreed that a single discussion should be held about both drafts, with the government moving the final text of the law in the second reading. Zlatko Canjuga of the Croatian Independent Democrats (HND) accepted that his draft amendments to the Penal Code be discussed together with government's more comprehensive amendments, after a government representative promised that the government would forward the draft into parliament quickly. Canjuga said he was glad that his suggestion that the use of symbols and the glorification of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH, 1941-1945) be punishable by law, but also agrees that it is better that, as the government suggested, criminal prosecution be extended to the use of symbols and glorification of fascist symbols. (hina) lml sb