CONFIDENCE MOTION - FIRST TO BE DISCUSSED, HDZ MPS WALK OUT

ZAGREB, July 15 (Hina) - Representatives of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) walked out of Sunday's parliamentary session when the Sabor started a discussion on the motion for confidence in the Croatian Government. In the continuation of the session, following a few breaks, the head of the coordination of benches of five ruling parties, Mato Arlovic, informed that the heads of the five parliamentary benches supported a proposal of the HDZ that the extra-ordinary session, set for Monday and Tuesday, should tackle the relations between Zagreb and the UN war crimes tribunal (ICTY) and a possibility for the call of a referendum on the treatment of war veterans. HDZ President Ivo Sanader welcomed the decision but the strongest opposition party insisted on its demand that their two motions be considered before the confidence motion. Sanader explained that this order of discussions would create prerequisites for a political decision of the Sabor and public on whether the Ivica Racan Cabinet should enjoy confidence. Sabor Speaker Zlatko Tomcic responded that before the latest break he had decided on the order of the topics on the agenda, and thus the confidence motion would be discussed first, and later on the relations with the ICTY would be considered. After that HDZ MPs left the session. The parliamentary session continued with a speech delivered by Premier Ivica Racan. The very beginning of Sunday's parliamentary session was marked by the outwitting over the procedure for the continuation of the sitting. After MPs gathered in the Sabor hall upon one of breaks, Sabor Speaker Tomcic said he had convened an extraordinary session for Monday and Tuesday as a precautionary measure, given that the current 13th session must end by midnight, according to the constitutional deadline. During Sunday's session the Sabor should discuss the confidence motion. After the first break, HDZ President Ivo Sanader asked that the said motions of the HDZ be first discussed and subsequently the motion for confidence in the government. Tomcic responded the confidence motion would first be discussed. He explained that being the Sabor Speaker he had the right to define the order of the topics on the agenda. Asked by the HDZ to give guarantees that their two motions would be considered at the extraordinary session, Tomcic said he could guarantee nothing until he got the opinion of other benches. Thus the second break of ten minutes was offered to the benches to hold consultations, and later on Arlovic informed the ruling parties' benches supported the HDZ's proposal. (hina) ms