GOVT. ASKS CONSTITUTIONAL COURT TO ASSESS ISTRIA COUNTY'S STATUTE

ZAGREB, May 22 (Hina) - The Croatian government on Tuesday decided to file a request with the Constitutional Court to assess whether 13 provisions of the Statute of Istria County are in compliance with the Constitution and law. The proposal was supported by all government members except European Integration Minister Ivan Jakovcic. The Justice Ministry has recently suspended ten provisions of the statute, regarding them as being contrary to the Croatian Constitution and laws. The Ivica Racan Cabinet requested the procedure for another three provisions as well, Deputy Justice Minister Ranko Marijan said at today's session of the government. For each country it is necessary that the hierarchy of legal norms be respected, Marijan said. He explained in detail why the Justice Ministry held that the said provisions were not in accordance with the Constitution. This referred to the introduction of the use of the Italian along with the Croatian language in the entire territory of Istria County, the names of municipalities, towns and the county and the provision on recognising Istrianism as regional origin. Minister Ivan Jakovcic, who took part in the drafting of the statute, claimed that the Justice Ministry was under th misapprehension that bilingualism was introduced in the entire area of the county. It is evident that bilingualism is to be introduced in the work of bodies of county administration, Jakovcic asserted and accepted the idea that it would be up to the Constitutional Court to declare a final ruling. Prime Minister Ivica Racan said everybody could make mistakes but a law-based country had institutions that should assess what was in line with law. In this case the Constitutional Court has jurisdiction, Racan said adding that he supported the Justice Ministry's proposal to suspend the provisions of Istria County's Statute. (hina) ms