ZAGREB, Oct 19 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament on Friday adopted with a majority vote a law on the rights of Homeland War veterans, whose Minister Ivica Pancic refuted allegations that the government had expedited the passing of the
law because of pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). "That's absolute nonsense, and if we ourselves don't have the strength to right the irregularities, the IMF can't help us," Pancic later told reporters. War veterans' associations, the presidency of parliament's Internal Affairs and National Security Committee, the War Veterans' Committee, the benches of the opposition's Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and Democratic Centre (DC) and some MPs of the ruling coalition's Social Liberals (HSLS) had requested postponing the debate on the veterans' rights bill for next week so that the many amendments moved to it could be considered. The majority of the MPs, however, turned the
ZAGREB, Oct 19 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament on Friday adopted
with a majority vote a law on the rights of Homeland War veterans,
whose Minister Ivica Pancic refuted allegations that the
government had expedited the passing of the law because of pressure
from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
"That's absolute nonsense, and if we ourselves don't have the
strength to right the irregularities, the IMF can't help us,"
Pancic later told reporters.
War veterans' associations, the presidency of parliament's
Internal Affairs and National Security Committee, the War
Veterans' Committee, the benches of the opposition's Croatian
Democratic Union (HDZ) and Democratic Centre (DC) and some MPs of
the ruling coalition's Social Liberals (HSLS) had requested
postponing the debate on the veterans' rights bill for next week so
that the many amendments moved to it could be considered. The
majority of the MPs, however, turned the request down.
Minister Pancic refuted claims from the opposition that the IMF
thought too much money had been spent on veterans' rights. The
rights have been reduced as funds have to be used more rationally,
in order to correct "the arrogant spending of the funds we had in the
past decade," said he.
Parliament adopted the new law without MPs of the strongest
opposition party, the HDZ, who walked out during the voting on the
amendments, dissatisfied with the fact that the government and the
parliamentary majority had rejected most of their amendments. The
government turned down the majority of 166 moved amendments.
The new law reduces many rights Croatian war veterans enjoyed until
now. MPs adopted a HDZ amendment stipulating that children of
killed soldiers are to receive a family pension up to one year after
finishing school unless they find a job in the meantime.
Parliament also adopted a conclusion binding the government to
organise, by year's end, systems in competent ministries that will
review veterans' disability.
Under the new law, budgetary expenses for veterans would be cut by
550 million kuna ($67.1 million) annually.
Parliament wrapped up this week's sitting by including on the
agenda requests for a HDZ motion of no confidence in Health Minister
Ana Stavljenic-Rukavina, in the wake of last week's death of 21
haemodialysis patients.
At the end of today's work, speaker Zlatko Tomcic read a letter in
which Interior Minister Sime Lucin apologises for Interior
Ministry spokeswoman Zinka Bardic's statement that "the level of
alcohol in the air in... parliament is never below 0.5 per mill."
Bardic said this in Jutarnji List daily of Thursday speaking about
preparations for a new law on road traffic safety.
Minister Lucin says the statement was made unofficially and that it
was ill-advised.
(hina) ha sb