PARTIES OF THE 'SIX' SIGN COALITION AGREEMENT

ZAGREB, Jan 20 (Hina) - The parties of Croatia's former 'Opposition Six' on Thursday signed a coalition agreement on the constituting of the Government and the Sabor (parliament) Presidency. The agreement, aimed at securing the stability of the Government and Sabor, was signed by the leaders of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS), Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS), Croatian People's Party (HNS), and the Liberal Party (LS). #L# The 15-item document defines methods of operation and decision- making in the Government and Sabor as well as their structure and criteria for the distribution of government duties. Offices in the Government and ministries will be allocated in line with election results - 50 per cent of all offices will go to the SDP and 25 per cent to the HSLS and parties of the coalition 'Four' each. Ivica Racan, who will be appointed premier on January 27, confirmed the presidents of the six parties would today start consultations on the composition of the new government. The new government could be appointed on the same day as its president, Croatian Sabor President and Acting Head of State Vlatko Pavletic announced yesterday. The government will be formed in line with the existing law, which will be changed upon the constituting of the House of Representatives on February 2. New appointments will be announced in line with those changes. Racan will present the government programme to the Sabor on February 9, when MPs are to take a vote of confidence in the new government. Racan told reporters the coalition would not be affected by the presidential election, at which the candidates of both the SDP/HSLS and the HNS/HSS/IDS/LS coalitions have a chance to enter the second round. "It is not true that some candidates are against this coalition. We don't think that what happens during presidential campaigning will have a significant effect on the constituting of the Government," Racan said. He denied that the government administration would be enlarged, although it will have 19 instead of the current 17 ministries. The coalition agreement signed today envisages the reorganisation of the Government and the forming of five new ministries. The Government will include the premier, two vice-premiers and ministers. A change is the introduction of the office of deputy to the Premier, which will probably be occupied by Goran Granic, who is currently the acting president of the HSLS because the party president Drazen Budisa is running in the presidential election. The new ministries will be the Ministry of European Integration, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Physical Planning, Ministry of Public Works, Reconstruction and Construction, Ministry of Power Industry, Industry, Trade and Privatisation, and the Ministry of Crafts, and Small- and Medium-Sized Entrepreneurship. The coalition government will make decisions by a majority vote. As regards decisions on important issues, the consent of coalition partners is urged, and should they fail to reach a consensus, decisions will be adopted by a two-thirds majority vote. Possible disputes within the coalition will be dealt with by the coalition's Coordination, to be made up of the Premier and the presidents of the coalition parties. In case there is no consensus, the parties will take a vote and the number of their votes will be the same as the number of their parliamentary seats. The parliamentary benches of the coalition parties will be run by a Coordination made up of the heads of parliamentary benches. The president of the Coordination will be a representative of the SDP, reads the coalition agreement. (hina) rml