GREDELJ REQUESTS APPOINTMENT OF COURT PRESIDENTS TO BE POSTPONED

ZAGREB, Sept 17 (Hina) - President of the Croatian Judges' Association (UHS) Vladimir Gredelj today requested of Prime Minister Ivica Racan to cease the process of appointing court presidents until the Parliament gives a green light. In an open letter, Gredelj said Justice Minister Stjepan Ivanisevic and the government have made an error in the process of appointing court presidents. He thus asks of Premier Racan to act urgently. With the urgent amendments to the Law on Courts, explaining that by not passing the amendments courts would be left without presidents, representatives of Racan's government have deceived the Croatian Parliament, Gredelj claims in the letter. He cited a decision of the Constitutional Court, dating from July, and the stance of State Attorney Ante Klaric to back his claim that the mandates of court presidents have not yet ceased. Gredelj's open letter to Racan also included Klaric's opinion about the appointment process which he had given after a UHS complaint. Klaric suggested that because of differing interpretations of law provisions, the parliament should provide a unified interpretation. Until then, the appointment of court presidents should be postponed, Klaric had said. The justice minister submitted candidacies for higher court presidents to panels of judges which should, within a month, create a list of candidates and propose one candidate as court president. The final decision lies with the justice minister. (hina) lml