ZAGREB, March 8 (Hina) - Mato Arlovic (Social Democratic Party, SDP) and the opposition entered a heated discussion in parliament Thursday during a discussion on constitutional changes. President of the Croatian Social Liberal Party
(HSLS) Drazen Budisa also said "it is not clear on whose behalf Arlovic spoke". We have no intention of meddling with the rights of Croats living out of Croatia, but we want the principle of general and equal electoral right for all to be respected, which is currently not the case as only emigrants have the right to elect representatives of the diaspora in Parliament, and not all Croatian citizens, Arlovic said. Thus, he explained, these are MPs of only a group of people, not of all citizens of Croatia. MPs of the largest opposition party, Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) reacted vehemently to this thesis, but so did Drazen Budisa, who said it was not clear on whose be
ZAGREB, March 8 (Hina) - Mato Arlovic (Social Democratic Party,
SDP) and the opposition entered a heated discussion in parliament
Thursday during a discussion on constitutional changes. President
of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) Drazen Budisa also said
"it is not clear on whose behalf Arlovic spoke".
We have no intention of meddling with the rights of Croats living
out of Croatia, but we want the principle of general and equal
electoral right for all to be respected, which is currently not the
case as only emigrants have the right to elect representatives of
the diaspora in Parliament, and not all Croatian citizens, Arlovic
said. Thus, he explained, these are MPs of only a group of people,
not of all citizens of Croatia.
MPs of the largest opposition party, Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ) reacted vehemently to this thesis, but so did Drazen Budisa,
who said it was not clear on whose behalf Arlovic spoke -- on behalf
of his party, SDP, the coalition of six ruling parties, the parties
who moved the issue, or on behalf of the Committee for the
Constitution.
The HSLS in content does not stand behind Arlovic's statements,
Budisa said, without specifying the contentious issues.
In reply, Arlovic said he spoke on behalf of one-fifth of the House
who suggested the constitutional changes, where he mentioned only
facts and figures, not anybody's political stances.
Arlovic stated data according to which only 16,000 Croats living
outside Bosnia-Herzegovina voted at the last elections for the
special list for the diaspora. About 126,000 Croats of the diaspora
voted in the elections, of which more than 110,000 were from Bosnia-
Herzegovina, Arlovic said, adding that the elections were
organised in embassies or consulates in 152 countries. This was all
paid for by tax payers.
Opposing Arlovic, HDZ MPs stressed great investments of the
diaspora into Croatia, and the fact that other countries make it
possible for their citizens abroad to vote in embassies, which does
not represent high costs.
The House of Representatives is continuing a discussion on
initiating amendments to the Constitution in the afternoon hours.
(hina) lml