ZAGREB, April 23 (Hina) - Croatia's ministry of justice, state administration and local self-government has decided to suspend ten provisions of the recently adopted Statute of Istria County. The justice ministry is going to propose
to the government to instigate the procedure before the Constitutional Court which should establish whether the contentious provisions are in compliance with the Constitution, Justice Minister Stjepan Ivanisevic said at a news conference in Zagreb on Monday. The same procedure will be required for another articles and items of the statute which the Ministry has not suspended but which are contentious owing to the terminology. Some suspended provisions refer to use of languages of ethnic minorities and the education of members of ethnic minorities in their mother tongue. Ivanisevic asserted that it was impossible for a county to introduce bilingualism on the territory
ZAGREB, April 23 (Hina) - Croatia's ministry of justice, state
administration and local self-government has decided to suspend
ten provisions of the recently adopted Statute of Istria County.
The justice ministry is going to propose to the government to
instigate the procedure before the Constitutional Court which
should establish whether the contentious provisions are in
compliance with the Constitution, Justice Minister Stjepan
Ivanisevic said at a news conference in Zagreb on Monday.
The same procedure will be required for another articles and items
of the statute which the Ministry has not suspended but which are
contentious owing to the terminology.
Some suspended provisions refer to use of languages of ethnic
minorities and the education of members of ethnic minorities in
their mother tongue.
Ivanisevic asserted that it was impossible for a county to
introduce bilingualism on the territory of the entire county, but
it could introduce bilingualism in the work of its bodies. As
regards the equality of languages, individual municipalities and
towns regulate this issue in their municipal and town statutes.
In relation to the education in the languages of national
minorities, the Istrian Statute's provision is contentious as it
order two languages - Croatian and Italian - to be used in schools,
but this is contrary to the education law under which the lessons in
the other language cannot be mandatory but only optional.
Another contentious thing is the introduction of the term
Istrianism ('Istrijanstvo') for the regional commitment.
According to Ivanisevic this cannot be the issue of territorial
organisation of the county and its statute. In addition, there is
danger that all who do not declare themselves as members of
'Istrianism' may be in an inferior position, Minister Ivanisevic
explained.
He said the county's statute could not list names of places inside
Istria County in Croatian and Italian languages as it was contrary
to legal solutions on toponyms. The definition of names of some
cities, towns or municipalities is not within the competence of a
county but law-makers, the minister added.
The ministry is against provisions about the establishment of a
commission for the protection of rights of the Istrian ethnic
minority, which will have the right to issue a veto on all decisions
of the county assembly which refer to members of this minority.
Ivanisevic asserted that Croatian laws did not envisage "the right
to veto". Besides, this might endanger the principle of the
election by a majority of the vote.
Ivanisevic explained that the purpose of such a decision was not to
contest the minority rights or rights of bodies of local self-
government but to adjust norms on lower level to the laws and the
Constitution.
The decision on suspension was forwarded to the government that
should, within next 30 days, decide which proposals would be
accepted and sent to the Constitutional Court for the assessment.
The ministry has forwarded its decision to Istria County Prefect as
well.
The statute, which Istria County passed on 9 April, introduces
bilingualism on this biggest Croatian peninsula where the Italian
minority lives. Consequently, the use of the Croatian and Italian
languages are equalised.
(hina) ms