LOWER HOUSE INITIATES AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUT. LAW ON MINORITIES

ZAGREB, April 28 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament's House of Representatives on Friday adopted by a majority of vote a conclusion to initiate government-motioned amendments to the Constitutional Law on Human Rights and Freedoms and the Rights of Ethnic and National Communities or Minorities. The Lower House today ended its third session, which had begun on April 12.#L# The adoption of the conclusion was preceded by a heated debate initiated by Furio Radin, a representative of the Italian minority, who demanded that an alternate model be found if provisions on districts were excluded from the Constitutional Law. Districts are defined as areas with a separate, self-governing, autonomous position. Mato Arlovic of the Social Democratic Party said Radin's demand was unacceptable as it could become the starting point for a federalisation of Croatia, which he said was impermissible. Luka Trconic of the Croatian Peasants' Party was also baffled by Radin's debate because, he said, Radin failed to recognise that the motioned amendments were in the interest of national minorities. Radin explained he had not asked for either a federalisation or autonomy when he spoke about alternate models for districts. He said he had not referred to political, but cultural self- government. According to Hungarian minority representative Tibor Santo, Croatia's territorial organisation was not brought into question at all during a meeting the parliamentary bench of national minorities held earlier today. The whole thing is only a misunderstanding, he said. Arlovic's accepted Radin's explanation, saying it entirely changed the contents of Radin's debate on the abolishment of districts. The abolition of districts, which never existed in practice, was welcomed by Boris Kandare of the Croatian Party of Rights/Croatian Christian Democratic Union bench. For him it is unacceptable that national minorities, which account for more than eight percent of the entire population, are entitled to representation in parliament, the government, and bodies of judicial authority. Some amendments regarding national minorities significantly surpass international standards and regulations in neighbouring countries, Kandare said, adding this was not good. Mladen Godek of the Croatian Social Liberal Party disagreed, saying the maximum protection of a minority from a majority represented the classic criterion of the level of a country's democracy. Godek said he was proud Croatia was ahead of its neighbours regarding the protection of minorities, adding this should urge others to do the same. Ninety-eight MPs endorsed the bill of amendments, while ten abstained, mainly from the Croatian Democratic Union. MPs of the largest Opposition party did not even take part in the debate because, they said, they received the bill only last night and had no time to prepare a debate on such an important issue. The amendments to the Constitutional Law on the rights of minorities explicitly state the following national minorities in Croatia: Albanian, Austrian, Bosnian Muslim, Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Jewish, German, Romany, Ruthenian, Serb, Slovak, Slovene, Ukrainian, and other ethnic and national communities or minorities. The amendments propose the rescinding of all provisions in connection with districts, and that a provision on minority representatives in parliament, the government, and bodies of supreme judicial authorities come into force after the 2001 census. The House of Representatives decided by a majority of vote to remove the official secret seal from a report by the State Audit Bureau on auditing conducted in "RH Alan", a company active with the Defence Ministry. The report will be discussed at the next session. (hina) ha jn