EXPANDED PARLIAMENTARY PRESIDENCY HOLDS SESSION

ZAGREB, Oct 10 (Hina) - At a meeting of the expanded presidency of the Croatian parliament on Thursday, it was decided that the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) had until Friday morning to decide whether they wished to back down from their request for a parliamentary debate on changes to the constitutional law on cooperation with the UN war crimes tribunal at The Hague. #L# In attendance were party bench representatives, Prime Minister Ivica Racan, and Deputy PM Goran Granic. Parliament president Zlatko Tomcic told reporters that the meeting discussed the HDZ-HSLS request and the introduction of a moratorium on cooperation with the Hague tribunal until the Constitutional Court makes its assessment of the cooperation law. Tomcic said that Racan and Granic reported on the government's latest moves relating to a Hague tribunal's indictment against General Janko Bobetko. The ruling coalition believes that at this moment a parliamentary discussion about the tribunal would reduce the government's "manoeuvring space" with regard to the Bobetko case, said Tomcic. At the moment a debate would be counter-productive, and there is no point in discussing changes to the law on cooperation with the Hague tribunal because this could give the impression that Croatia is distancing itself from dialogue and cooperation with the tribunal, Tomcic said. It would be worthwhile to avoid any such debate, but the sponsor has the right to move it, he added. HDZ bench president Vladimir Seks said there were arguments in favour and against holding such a debate. The HDZ bench will consider whether it will demand the discussion, he said. Tomcic estimated that it was obvious that political parties wished to continue with dialogue and cooperation with the Hague tribunal. (hina) sp/ha sb