ZAGREB, Nov 27 (Hina) - The new electoral bill will be sent into parliamentary procedure in spring and it should be adopted by the end of next year, together with the 2003 budget at the latest, said the chairman of the parliamentary
Committee on the Constitution, Rule Book and the Political System, Mato Arlovic. Should an early election be held in the meantime, it would be held under the current Law on the Election of Deputies, Arlovic told Hina, dismissing claims by some media the parliament was pushing for the adoption of the new law due to the possibility of an early election. Arlovic does not believe an early election will be held, although, he says, that possibility can never be entirely ruled out. The new law is being drafted by an expert group of the Committee on the Constitution, Rule Book and the Political System, and it is planned that the Law on the Election of Deputies and the Law on Constituencie
ZAGREB, Nov 27 (Hina) - The new electoral bill will be sent into
parliamentary procedure in spring and it should be adopted by the
end of next year, together with the 2003 budget at the latest, said
the chairman of the parliamentary Committee on the Constitution,
Rule Book and the Political System, Mato Arlovic.
Should an early election be held in the meantime, it would be held
under the current Law on the Election of Deputies, Arlovic told
Hina, dismissing claims by some media the parliament was pushing
for the adoption of the new law due to the possibility of an early
election.
Arlovic does not believe an early election will be held, although,
he says, that possibility can never be entirely ruled out.
The new law is being drafted by an expert group of the Committee on
the Constitution, Rule Book and the Political System, and it is
planned that the Law on the Election of Deputies and the Law on
Constituencies should be adopted within the constitutional
deadline, that is, one year before the general vote, and not shortly
before the elections, as has been the case so far, Arlovic said.
Making changes to the election legislation is necessary because it
must be adjusted to the Constitution, as the House of Counties no
longer exists, and because of the interest of the public,
particularly experts, who have been urging the reduction of the
number of parliamentary deputies from 150 to 120, saying the latter
was more appropriate for the size of the country and its
population.
Respecting the stand of the ruling five-party coalition that the
right to vote, which is guaranteed by the Constitution, should be
linked with the place of residence, the new electoral law should
also define the voting of Croatian citizens with dual citizenship
or those with permanent residence outside Croatia.
Under the new law, the diaspora constituency would no longer exist
and citizens with dual citizenship would exercise their right to
vote only if they have permanent residence in Croatia for at least
one year before the elections.
Croatian citizens permanently residing abroad will probably
realise their right to vote by voting in Croatia.
Under the new law, the system of proportional representation will
be maintained, but one is also considering the introduction of a so-
called open list, so that voters would be able not only to chose
between party and independent lists, but rank the candidates on the
same or a separate ballot.
The election thresholds of five percent for party lists and pre-
election coalitions would not be changed, and the forming of pre-
election coalitions would not be prevented.
The law would reduce the number of constituencies (currently ten).
Arlovic advocates a single constituency on the national level or
five constituencies at the most if necessary.
(hina) sb rml