HDZ, HSLS GIVE UP ON CHANGES TO LAW ON COOPERATION WITH TRIBUNAL

ZAGREB, Oct 14 (Hina) - The HDZ bench has abandoned its demand for a parliamentary debate on its amendments to the constitutional law on Croatia's cooperation with the UN war crimes tribunal at The Hague, while the HSLS has withdrawn its motion for a moratorium on cooperation with the tribunal. #L# The HSLS (Social Liberals) had moved imposing the moratorium until the constitutional court assessed certain provisions from said law and the parliamentary committee on the Constitution stated if indictments from The Hague against Generals Rahim Ademi and Ante Gotovina were founded from the legal point of view. The HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) whip, Vladimir Seks, said on Monday he had informed the Committee on the Constitution, Rule Book and Political System about a decision the HDZ Presidency had reached on Saturday to give up on the demand for changes to the constitutional law until further notice. The HDZ is aware the necessary consensus could not be reached without an agreement with the ruling coalition, which would make a parliamentary debate on the matter come to nothing, while the law would remain unchanged, said Seks. He stated that when they insisted on changes to the law last Friday, HDZ MPs did not have the information they learned in the meantime, referring to a European Union protest note and announcements that the Hague tribunal's chief prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, would visit Zagreb later this month. The HDZ does not want to be accused of obstructing or diminishing the government's success in the legal dispute with the Hague tribunal, Seks said. The committee on the Constitution applauded the HDZ and HSLS moves, as did the president of the Council for Cooperation with the Hague tribunal, Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic. Parliament was to have debated the HDZ and HSLS motions this Thursday. (hina) ha sb