ZAGREB, Oct 16 (Hina) - President of the Croatian Sabor Zlatko Tomcic has convened a meeting of the parliament's presidency and party bench presidents for early Thursday morning so that they can decide on the continuation of the Sabor
session, that is, whether or not a proposal put forward by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) would be discussed in the Sabor or not.
ZAGREB, Oct 16 (Hina) - President of the Croatian Sabor Zlatko
Tomcic has convened a meeting of the parliament's presidency and
party bench presidents for early Thursday morning so that they can
decide on the continuation of the Sabor session, that is, whether or
not a proposal put forward by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ)
and Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) would be discussed in the
Sabor or not. #L#
In keeping with an earlier agreement, the Sabor was on Thursday to
discuss a proposal by the HDZ and HSLS about changes to the
constitutional law on co-operation with the Hague Tribunal and
about the possible introduction of a moratorium on co-operation
with the Tribunal.
In the meantime the HDZ and HSLS benches announced that they were
willing to temporarily withdraw their proposal.
Tomcic however suggested that they completely withdraw their
proposal or else he would propose that the Sabor take a vote on the
proposal.
The president of the Croatian Bloc (HB) Ivic Pasalic on Wednesday
told a press conference that his party would continue with its
demand that a discussion be held relating to future co-operation
with the tribunal. HB believes that a referendum should be called
for but prior to that the Croatian public needs to be fully informed
on the issue which urgently requires a parliamentary discussion and
consensus between parties, Pasalic said.
HB does not support the Government's opinion and the unfounded fear
it is presenting to the public claiming that a discussion in the
Sabor would radicalise political relations between Croatia and the
UN tribunal and thereby deteriorating the country's international
position. This simply is not true because where such a significant
question can be discussed if not in the Sabor, Pasalic wondered.
The Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) is of the same opinion. At a press
conference the party's president Anto Dapic said that HSP still
believed that a Sabor discussion on HDZ's proposal should be held.
Djapic expects of the HDZ bench to persist in its proposal on
Thursday regardless of the fact that it has already withdrawn from
it.
Dapic believes that the parliamentary discussion on the proposal
should not be seen as negative for Croatia even though it will in no
way assist the legal dispute between the Government and the
Tribunal. As such, he repeated HSP's attitude that further co-
operation with the UN court should be decided at a referendum.
(hina) sp ms sb