ZAGREB, May 19 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament's House of Representatives on Friday for the third time failed to vote on a reconstruction law after the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) left parliament, in line with its threat that it
would do so every time Minister Radimir Cacic was in parliament. "We don't want to take part in debates while Cacic is in parliament," HDZ bench president Vladimir Seks said. The largest Opposition party's boycott was joined by the Croatian Party of Rights and the Democratic Centre (DC), while the ruling six-party coalition failed to gather the sufficient number of MPs to independently pass the law. HDZ's MPs yesterday demanded the resignation of the minister for public works, reconstruction and construction, claiming a statement he made in parliament had offended them. Minister Cacic on the other hand said he had not the slightest intention of resigning at the de
ZAGREB, May 19 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament's House of
Representatives on Friday for the third time failed to vote on a
reconstruction law after the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) left
parliament, in line with its threat that it would do so every time
Minister Radimir Cacic was in parliament.
"We don't want to take part in debates while Cacic is in
parliament," HDZ bench president Vladimir Seks said.
The largest Opposition party's boycott was joined by the Croatian
Party of Rights and the Democratic Centre (DC), while the ruling
six-party coalition failed to gather the sufficient number of MPs
to independently pass the law.
HDZ's MPs yesterday demanded the resignation of the minister for
public works, reconstruction and construction, claiming a
statement he made in parliament had offended them. Minister Cacic
on the other hand said he had not the slightest intention of
resigning at the demand of a minor party which he said had lost all
credibility in public.
"Unless he (resigns), we shall request a parliamentary debate on
confidence to Cacic. All the more so since he called the HDZ a minor
party," Seks said ahead of today's voting on amendments to the
reconstruction law.
DC's Vesna Skare-Ozbolt told reporters she too found Cacic's
statements offensive, and that no party in parliament could be
considered minor.
The majority of parliament's Opposition is against the passing of
the reconstruction law because they believe it rescinds the right
of veterans to precedence in reconstruction and equates the victim
and the aggressor.
The HDZ also seeks that the formulation according to which
destruction occurred 'during the Homeland War' be replaced with the
syntagm 'during the Greater Serbia aggression'.
Minister Cacic yesterday stated that the crimes during last
decade's war had been committed by both sides, and that the arson
and plundering of Croatian Serb houses had nothing to do with the
Greater Serbia aggression, but with crime.
Parliament president Zlatko Tomcic suggested that the dispute be
settled with a formulation saying the damage had been done "during
the period of the Homeland War."
The law envisages the reconstruction of material goods demolished
or damaged through 15 January 1998, the end of the peaceful
reintegration of eastern Croatia's Danube River Region.
Entitled to reconstruction would be the owners, co-owners and
protected lessees of damaged family houses or flats who are either
Croatian citizens or had residence in Croatia in 1991. The right is
granted once they submit a statement saying they will return to the
reconstructed property.
The right would be denied only to parties sentenced for criminal
acts, whereas to those under indictment the right would be
postponed.
(hina) ha jn