HOUSE OF COUNTIES ENDORSES BILL ON CROATIAN RADIO-TELEVISION

ZAGREB, April 18 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament's House of Counties on Tuesday endorsed four bills drafted by House of Representatives MPs, namely bills of amendments to the labour law, the municipal economy law, the law on excise taxes on petroleum products, and a new text for the Croatian Radio-Television (HRT) Law. Amendments to the Labour Law were motioned by MPs of the Croatian Party of Rights, who demanded that trade unions be given the right to organise strikes when salaries are 15 days late. About 170,000 workers in Croatia do not receive salaries on a regular basis, they said. A bill on the HRT was given the green light without much debate. Jadranka Kosor of the Croatian Democratic Union said the bill had been prepared by the HRT Council in its former composition. According to the bill, the HRT would be established as a national and public television whose programme obligation would be truthful and objective reporting, with no advocacy of any political party's positions. Instead of 23, according to the new law the HRT Council would have 29 members, of which the House of Representatives would appoint only six. The rest would be directly appointed by significant institutions, associations, or organisations. The Council would appoint editors-in-chief for Radio and Television and HRT's director. Despite objections on the government's part, the House of Counties endorsed an Istrian Democratic Assembly-motioned bill of amendments to the Law on Municipal Economy, and a Croatian Peasants' Party-motioned bill of amendments to the Law on Excise Tax on Petroleum Products. (hina) ha jn