PULA, Nov 12 (Hina) - The president of the Serb People's Council (SNV), Milorad Pupovac, at a press conference on Tuesday expressed his dissatisfaction with the latest, final constitutional bill on national minorities.
PULA, Nov 12 (Hina) - The president of the Serb People's Council
(SNV), Milorad Pupovac, at a press conference on Tuesday expressed
his dissatisfaction with the latest, final constitutional bill on
national minorities. #L#
The election of minority representatives is foreseen in line with
party listings, which virtually abolishes minority representation
in the Croatian Sabor, Pupovac said, pointing out that the SNV
insisted on the dual right to vote being the same for all
minorities. According to the bill, only minorities which form less
than 1.5 percent of the population would enjoy this right.
Pupovac announced he would send a letter to the presidents of state
and parliament, the prime minister, as well as to the OSCE Mission
chief to Croatia. If they do not consider the SNV's demands, Pupovac
announced he would file a constitutional complaint and contact
international institutions.
Pupovac said that following the reduced number of MPs, primarily
for the Serb community, which began in 1992, the latest bill would
be the final step in the virtual elimination of any trace of
minority presence in Croatia's politics. He claimed this would suit
those who had always been opposed to minorities and their rights in
Croatia.
Pupovac was asked to comment on a statement by Deputy Premier Goran
Granic, who said that ensuring dual voting rights also for the Serb
community would mean that minorities would have too great an
influence. He said that Granic should be more concerned about the
fact that the right wing had too much influence, not minorities.
The MP for the Italian community and chairman of the parliamentary
committee for human rights and national minorities, Furio Radin,
expressed his bitterness at the bill on national minorities, asking
if it was a serious proposal or if it deceived national minorities.
According to Radin, if the proposal is passed, small national
minorities like the Italians, Germans, Hungarians and Czechs would
lose their right to have their representatives in the Croatian
Sabor because they would be elected from party listings.
"This model will produce party yes-men and eliminate the real
representatives of national minorities in the Croatian Sabor,"
Radin said. The Social Democratic Party (SDP), as the sponsor of
such a bill, in fact wishes to win over national minority
representatives in an "unnatural way and in spite of election
results," he said.
Radin is dissatisfied because the SDP's Racan and Mate Arlovic have
shown "utter insensitivity towards national minorities". He
regretted having given the incumbent government a vote of
confidence in the Sabor.
(hina) sp/ha sb