ARLOVIC: THERE IS NO LEGAL BASIS FOR REFERENDUM

ZAGREB, June 25 (Hina) - The chairman of the Croatian parliament's Committee on the Constitution, Rule Book and Political System, Mato Arlovic, said on Monday parliament cannot decide about the binding referendum sought by the central headquarters for the protection of the dignity of the Homeland War until the existing Referendum Law is changed. Protesters at today's rally held in front of the Rijeka County Court demanded that the trial of General Mirko Norac be discontinued until a referendum was carried out. The referendum was requested by the headquarters for the protection of the dignity of the Homeland War, which gathered more than 400,000 signatures, and for which, the headquarters claims, everything is ready. However, Arlovic says not everything is ready for the referendum by which the headquarters seeks the adoption of a constitutional law granting Croatian Homeland War veterans the same treatment as enjoyed by the members of all victorious armies after World War II, i.e., exemption from prosecution for war crimes. The binding referendum is a novel concept introduced with the latest changes to the Constitution. According to it, in the future the Croatian parliament will have to organise referendums about proposals for the change of the Constitution, laws or other regulations, if this is requested by ten percent of the entire electorate. The referendum law has not been changed or adjusted to the Constitutions. Under the Constitutional Law on the Implementation of the Constitution this should have been done by July 1, but was not. A bill by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) on the change and amendment of the Referendum Law, which is in parliamentary procedure, has been assessed negatively by both the government and all parliamentary committees, which does not mean that it will not be supported by the necessary majority of votes, Arlovic said. A group of experts from the Committee on the Constitution, led by Arlovic, have been wrapping up a working version of changes to the Referendum Law. Arlovic assesses that the draft could be sent into the first reading by mid-July. Until the Referendum Law is changed and amended with regulations on the conduct of the binding referendum, the referendum cannot be included in the parliamentary agenda, Arlovic said. Only once changes to the law are adopted, the collection of signatures will be regulated, including data which have to accompany the signatures and the form of the referendum question, which must be unambiguous so that participants in the referendum could answer only with a yes or a no. Until this is done, such a referendum form cannot be implemented, Arlovic said. Despite the support of more than 400,000 citizens, which is one tenth of the electorate, the materials the headquarters forwarded to parliament may be merely incentive to start a political debate in the parliament. The matter could also end in a decision on organising a referendum but only if this is decided by a majority of deputies. Under the existing law, the Sabor can but is not obliged to call a referendum on the change of the Constitution and laws. Only after changes are made to the Referendum Law, the organisation of a referendum will be obligatory, on condition it is requested by ten percent of the electorate and in line with the law, Arlovic said. (hina) sb rml