ZAGREB, July 8 (Hina) - A discussion on confidence and a confidence vote in the government, announced by Premier Ivica Racan on late Saturday night, can be held in the Sabor next week-end at the earliest. The Ivica Racan government
should gain the vote of at least 76 members of the parliament to survive the motion for the confidence vote. Sabor Speaker Zlatko Tomcic was quoted by the daily 'Vecernji List' as saying last night that he had already received Prime Minister's proposal for the motion of the confidence vote, and this can be put on the agenda seven days after the proposal is submitted, according the Constitution. Thus, the motion can be discussed next weekend at the earliest, while it should be considered by MPs within 30 days at the latest. Under the constitution, a no confidence decision shall be accepted if it has been voted by the majority of the total number of MPs. In this case, it is n
ZAGREB, July 8 (Hina) - A discussion on confidence and a confidence
vote in the government, announced by Premier Ivica Racan on late
Saturday night, can be held in the Sabor next week-end at the
earliest.
The Ivica Racan government should gain the vote of at least 76
members of the parliament to survive the motion for the confidence
vote.
Sabor Speaker Zlatko Tomcic was quoted by the daily 'Vecernji List'
as saying last night that he had already received Prime Minister's
proposal for the motion of the confidence vote, and this can be put
on the agenda seven days after the proposal is submitted, according
the Constitution.
Thus, the motion can be discussed next weekend at the earliest,
while it should be considered by MPs within 30 days at the latest.
Under the constitution, a no confidence decision shall be accepted
if it has been voted by the majority of the total number of MPs. In
this case, it is necessary that 76 MPs vote for no confidence.
If at present votes of 23 deputies of the HSLS party are excluded,
given that HSLS members in the Croatian government - three
ministers as well as Racan's First Deputy Goran Granic - tendered
resignation yesterday after which PM announced the confidence
vote, the number of MPs in the Sabor who are representatives of
other four ruling parties comes to 65 i.e. 45 of Social Democrats
(SDP), 16 of Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS) and two of Croatian
People's Party (HNS) and Liberal Party (LS) each.
The remaining 11 votes in the parliament necessary for confidence
in the government are likely to be sought among ranks of IDS
(Istrian Democratic Assembly), which has recently left the ruling
coalition and which now supports the government's decision to act
in line with the UN war crimes court's (ICTY) request about the
hand-over of Croatian indictees, and the DC (Democratic Centre).
Each DC and IDS have four (4) MPs in the Sabor.
National minorities have three representatives, while parties -
PGS (Primorje-Gorski Kotar Alliance), SBHS (Slavonia Baranja
Croatian Party), which are two regional parties, and HND (Croatian
Independent Democrats) and SNS (Serb People's Party) - each have
one MP.
If all the representatives of the said parties vote in favour of the
confidence, this figure will come to 80 MPs.
The strongest opposition party, HDZ, with 41 MPs, and the bench of
the HSP/HKDU with five MPs are likely to vote for no confidence in
the Racan cabinet ( i.e. a total of 46 representatives).
It remains to be seen how an independent deputy, Ivo Loncar, who won
the seat being on the slate of the HSS and who turned to be the
severest critic of the incumbent authorities, will vote.
It is not certain which position the HSLS will take during the
parliamentary vote.
On Saturday Defence Minister Jozo Rados, Economy Minister Goranko
Fizulic and Science Minister Hrvoje Kraljevic, together with
Granic, (all are HSLS members) offered their resignation over the
government's decision to act in line with the ICTY's request about
the hand-over of war crimes indictees. The fifth HSLS member in the
Racan Cabinet - Transport Minister Alojz Tusek - did not resign. In
addition, during the vote for the government's decision, which was
held before their resignation, only Kraljevic was against it, two
HSLS members - Rados and Kraljevic - abstained, while Goran Granic
and Tusek voted for it.
According to unofficial reports, the HSLS is divided over this
issue and the vote.
If a vote of no confidence in the prime minister or the Government as
a whole is passed, the prime minister and the government should
submit their resignation to the President of the Republic, read the
constitution.
After that, there are two options.
One of them is call early parliamentary elections.
The other one is that President Stjepan Mesic offers the mandate to
a new premier-designate for the formation of a new government. The
latter option is less possible, as the current opposition, even if
the HSLS joins it, is not able to constitute a new government, as it
cannot muster the vote of over 70 MPs.
(hina) ms