CONSTITUENT SESSION OF CROATIAN LOWER HOUSE STARTS

ZAGREB, Feb 2 (Hina) - Members of the Croatian National Sabor's House of Representatives on Wednesday gathered at a constituent session at which the president and five vice presidents, as well as members of 21 working bodies of the Lower House will be appointed. The session was opened by the oldest member of the parliament, Josip Torbar of the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS), who will chair the session until the new president of the House of Representatives and the Sabor is appointed. The candidate for the president of the Sabor is Zlatko Tomcic of the HSS. The House of Representatives has 151 representatives from 11 parties. The majority of seats in the Lower House, namely 71, went to the Coalition of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSS)/Social Democratic Party (SDP). This Coalition and the Coalition of Four (the HSS, the Liberal Party, LS, the Istrian Democratic Assembly, IDS, and the Croatian People's Party, HNS) has 95 representatives. Individually, the most numerous representatives are from the ranks of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), namely 46. The SDP has 44 representatives, the HSLS has 24, the HSS has 16, the IDS and HSP each have four representatives. The HNS, the LS, and the Primorje- Gorski Kotar Alliance (PGS) each have two seats, while the Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU) and the Slavonija-Baranja Croatia's Party (SBHS) each have one seat. The Lower House also includes five representatives of national minorities. The elections for the House of Representatives were held on January 3 and 16. After nearly ten years, today's opposition HDZ lost power. The New House of Representatives invited the president of the Sabor and Croatia's acting president, Vlatko Pavletic, to attend its first session. Also present at the session are senior state officials, representative of all compositions of the Croatian authorities, representatives of religious communities, and diplomatic- consular assembly. (hina) it