STRONGEST OPPOSITION PARTY AGAINST CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES

ZAGREB, March 14 (Hina) - Parliament's lower house on Wednesday decided with a majority of vote to accede to changes to the Constitution referring to the abolishment of the upper house and the right to vote of Croatian citizens living abroad. The upper house, in which the opposition's Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) is the strongest party, yesterday took the constitutional changes off its agenda, which representatives of the ruling six parties interpreted as an obstruction or "negative opinion" which is not binding for the lower house. The president of the HDZ bench, Vladimir Seks, described the ruling coalition's position as an "attack on the constitutional order" and "the crudest violation of the Constitution." HDZ has been objecting to the changes from the start, deeming it "irresponsible" to change the Constitution in such a short time, namely four months after the last changes were adopted. HDZ MP did not take part in today's lower house voting. Seks announced a constitutional complaint was possible and that the Council of Europe would be notified of the "subversion of the constitutional order in Croatia (being carried out) under the guise of democracy." (hina) ha sb