LOWER HOUSE ADOPTS FOUR LAWS IN URGENT PROCEDURE

ZAGREB, Feb 3 (Hina) - The Croatian National Sabor's House of Representatives on Thursday adopted four laws by a majority vote in urgent procedure. The laws, which had been proposed by the Government, are the Law on the Re-scheduling of Working Hours on February 7, 2000; the Law on Changes to the Law on the Government; the Law on Changes to the Law on the Organisation and Jurisdiction of Ministries and State Administrative Organisations; and the Law on Changes to the Law on the Composition of the State Administration. Before a vote was taken, Vice-Premier Slavko Linic presented the laws on changes to the Law on the Government, the Law on the Organisation and Jurisdiction of Ministries, and the Law on the Composition of the State Administration. Linic said the new laws did not require additional budgetary funds or the expansion of the state administration. He also undertook to present a detailed report on economy and performance of the new state organisation in six months. According to the new law on the Government, the Government will be smaller and include the Premier and his deputies and ministers, with one of the deputies being also the Premier's first deputy, a function which did not exist in the former Government. During a debate on this law, the president of the Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS) bench, Damir Kajin, presented some objections which were opposed by the head of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) bench, Mato Arlovic, who said the law was based on the Constitution and could not cancel the immunity of Government members. The head of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) bench, Vladimir Seks, supported the law, adding the Government had the parliamentary majority and the right to organise itself. The Lower House also accepted amendments to the law, suggested by the Committee for Legislation, as well as the opinion of the Upper House. The Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) and the Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU) abstained from the vote on this law. The new Law on the Organisation and Jurisdiction of Ministries and State Administrative Organisations was adopted with a majority vote of 109, with the HSP-HKDU bloc abstaining. According to this law, there will be 19 instead of 17 ministries, state ministries will be cancelled and all ministries will have the same status. The names of some ministries will change, whereas some of them will be taken over by other ministries, Vice-Premier Linic said presenting the law. During a debate on the law, IDS's Kajin said one should take care of extra-budgetary funds and control them. He expressed hope the budgetary financing of "the famous Croatian Defence Council (HVO)" would stop. HDZ's Milan Kovac responded by saying the HVO was not "a famous but a legitimate part of the Federation of Bosnia- Herzegovina". The law received support from the HDZ parliamentary bench. Presenting the bill on changes to the Law on the Composition of the State Administration, Linic said the bill abolished the function of state secretary, adding in the future this office would be held by secretaries at the ministries. According to the bill, all deputy ministers and assistants to ministers will be appointed and relieved of their duties by the Government, at the proposal of ministers. (hina) rml