CROATIAN PARLIAMENT BEGINS DISCUSSION ON RATIFYING SAA

ZAGREB, Dec 4 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament on Tuesday morning began a discussion on a draft law on the ratification of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) between Croatia and the European Union. After a brief discussion and a speedy session of the Committee for the Constitution and Rule Book, the MPs gave up their intention to unite the discussion with that on ratifying the temporary agreement on trade and related issues between Croatia and the European Community. Drago Krpina of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) opposed unifying the issues into one discussion, stressing the parliament had no quorum to make such a decision. MPs of the HDZ and the Croatian Party of Rights had left the parliament room earlier, in protest of the government sending a large number of bills into urgent parliamentary procedure. To clear any misunderstandings, parliament speaker Zlatko Tomcic called the Committee for the Constitution and Rule Book for help. The Committee stated that since there was no quorum, the parliament should withdraw the suggestion to unite the two discussions. Committee chairman Mato Arlovic accused HDZ MPs of obstructing the session. The HDZ is trying to aggravate session work, Arlovic said, assessing that such attempts would continue as the session continued. HDZ party bench president Vladimir Seks dismissed Arlovic's claim. The HDZ wants the parliament's Rule Book to be followed, and requests that the discussions be separated because of the importance of the two agreements. This does not mean we are obstructing the work of the parliament, Seks stressed. He said that because of the large number of issues which needed to be discussed, there would be problems in doing everything in time until December 15, when the deadline for regular parliament work expires. (hina) lml