ZAGREB, March 13 (Hina) - The parliamentary bench of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) in the Sabor's House of Counties on Tuesday demanded that the topic on launching constitutional amendments should be erased from the agenda of
the upper house where the HDZ has a majority of seats. HDZ MPs claimed that the plans about the announced constitutional changes were the result of political games. The HDZ bench maintains that the House of Representatives (lower house) whose MPs initiated the changes should test at a referendum their intention of changing the Constitution in order to abolish the upper house and the right of the Diaspora to vote at elections. Speaking on behalf of the HDZ bench in the House of Counties, Ivan Brlekovic claimed that it would be necessary to conduct a new parliamentary election along with the proposed constitutional changes. Brlekovic cited the reasons which his p
ZAGREB, March 13 (Hina) - The parliamentary bench of the Croatian
Democratic Union (HDZ) in the Sabor's House of Counties on Tuesday
demanded that the topic on launching constitutional amendments
should be erased from the agenda of the upper house where the HDZ has
a majority of seats.
HDZ MPs claimed that the plans about the announced constitutional
changes were the result of political games.
The HDZ bench maintains that the House of Representatives (lower
house) whose MPs initiated the changes should test at a referendum
their intention of changing the Constitution in order to abolish
the upper house and the right of the Diaspora to vote at elections.
Speaking on behalf of the HDZ bench in the House of Counties, Ivan
Brlekovic claimed that it would be necessary to conduct a new
parliamentary election along with the proposed constitutional
changes.
Brlekovic cited the reasons which his party believes to be the
behind plans to revoke the upper house. According to him the next
election for the House of Counties might cause upheavals inside the
ruling six-party coalition.
Besides, the ruling coalition tries to avert the attention from
unsolved economic and social problems, he added.
He refuted the argument of the coalition representatives that the
reason for the upper house's abolishment is the price of its work.
For him, local government in Zagreb costs more than the state
allocated means for the House of Counties.
As regards the right of Diaspora members to vote, HDZ
representative said the revocation of this suffrage meant that
Croatians with dual citizenship and the permanent place of
residence outside Croatia would no longer be entitled to vote,
while national minorities are given the right to dual suffrage.
The HDZ motion will be considered in the continuation of the 53th
session which the House of Counties commenced on Tuesday morning.
(hina) ms