ZAGREB, Nov 20 (Hina) - After five unsuccessful attempts, the Croatian parliament on Wednesday finally voted for personnel changes in parliamentary committees, which became necessary after the Social Liberals (HSLS) left the ruling
coalition last summer. The voting proceeded without opposition MPs who walked out of the session.
ZAGREB, Nov 20 (Hina) - After five unsuccessful attempts, the
Croatian parliament on Wednesday finally voted for personnel
changes in parliamentary committees, which became necessary after
the Social Liberals (HSLS) left the ruling coalition last summer.
The voting proceeded without opposition MPs who walked out of the
session. #L#
After the establishment of quorum, the Sabor relieved Milanka
Opacic (Social Democrats, SDP) of duty as the head of the
credentials and privileges commission. Opacic was replaced by
Libra leader Jozo Rados and appointed head of the committee on
gender equality.
Djurdja Adlesic of the HSLS was replaced at the post of the head of
the national security committee by Ante Markov of the Croatian
Peasants' Party (HSS). Minority MP Borislav Graljuk was appointed
to Markov's post as a committee member.
Hrvoje Kraljevic of Libra was appointed head of the committee on
education, science and culture.
Baltazar Jalsovec of Libra was relieved of duty as member of the
committee on legislation, and Jozo Rados of Libra and Vesna
Podlipec of the SDP were appointed new members.
A few other committees got new members, most of whom are Libra MPs.
After the changes were endorsed, the parliament saw a heated debate
during which MPs of the ruling coalition and opposition parties
accused one another of violating the parliament's rule book,
obstructing the parliament's work and damaging its reputation.
This prompted Sabor President Zlatko Tomcic to say "This is a
circus!".
Vladimir Seks of the strongest opposition party, the Croatian
Democratic Union, said that those who committed parliamentary
violence were responsible for turning parliament into a circus,
while Zeljko Glavan of the HSLS accused ruling parties of this.
Seks further accused ruling coalition MPs of political violence and
trampling on the Opposition's right to have the adequate ratio in
committees.
The HDZ whip announced that his party would try to cancel the
appointments and changes in the committees at the Constitutional
Court.
He accused Tomcic of abuse of office after he as the Sabor President
failed to meet the HSLS's request that the voting for the
appointments in committees be held on the individual basis.
The bench of the Democratic Centre (DC) also voiced severe protest
over, as DC leader Mate Granic said, forcible changes in the balance
of power in committees and over such great pressure which had not
been recorded in the Croatian parliament since its establishment.
Ivo Skrabalo of Libra warned the HSLS that leaving the
parliamentary majority meant having to face some consequences,
such as the loss of certain positions in the parliamentary bodies.