SERB REPRESENTATIVES SUPPORT PASSING OF MINORITY ACTS

VUKOVAR, May 2 (Hina) - Representatives of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS), Joint Council of Municipalities and associations of Serb refugees and returnees on Tuesday discussed draft constitutional amendments to the Constitutional Law on human rights and freedoms and the rights of ethnic and national communities or minorities in Croatia, the law on an equal official use of minority languages and scripts, and the law on the education and upbringing in minority languages and scripts. The Serb representatives supported the initiation of a Parliament procedure for the passing of these laws, being, as they said, "important for the regulation of the position of national minorities in Croatia". They stressed at the same time that the passing of these laws in the motioned text did not satisfy the basic interests and needs of the members of national minorities in Croatia. "Recommendations of the Council of Europe and documents regulating the status of the Serb minority in Croatia, such as the Erdut Agreement, the Letter of intention and other documents, were not taken into consideration," a statement said, adding the work so far in the passing of these laws confirmed that the Government and Parliament were continuing the started policy of former authorities in reducing minority rights, despite publicly stated views and international obligations". The statement added that in the process of the passing of these laws the parliament must "respect the stances of the Justice Ministry's working group which had been established to draw up a completely new constitutional bill which would permanently regulate the position of the Serb and other minorities in Croatia, as well as minority associations". (hina) lml mm