HDZ REQUEST FOR EXTRAORDINARY PARL. SESSION IS POLITICAL PAMPHLET

ZAGREB, Aug 9 (Hina) - Croatian parliament deputy speaker Mato Arlovic said today the Croatian Democratic Union's (HDZ) request for an extraordinary session was a political pamphlet not supported by the rule-book. "The Constitution and the Rule-book specify that the President of the Republic, the government and half of the total number of MPs have the right to call an extraordinary parliament session," Arlovic said. The HDZ request could only be seen as a sort of a suggestion to the parliament speaker to call an extraordinary session, says Arlovic, who may also call a session, although only with the support of parliamentary party benches. According to Arlovic, the HDZ's request is unusual because it does not contain a single signature by an MP, only the one of the party secretary. The letter, he added, "is used to voice political assessments which are for the most part on the level of a pamphlet, unfounded and untrue". The strongest opposition party on Tuesday requested an emergency parliamentary session to address the latest government decisions on higher prices and police layoffs and announcements of layoffs in the military.