ZAGREB, July 3 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan confirmed on Monday that the Government and the President of the State are in complete agreement regarding the constitutional definition of Croatia as a state of
parliamentary democracy. Addressing reporters after tonight's meeting of a co-ordination comprised of the presidents of the six parties which make up the ruling coalition, Racan said he and President Mesic would together sign a decision on initiating changes to the Constitution so that it could be discussed by parliament in mid-July.
ZAGREB, July 3 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan
confirmed on Monday that the Government and the President of the
State are in complete agreement regarding the constitutional
definition of Croatia as a state of parliamentary democracy.
Addressing reporters after tonight's meeting of a co-ordination
comprised of the presidents of the six parties which make up the
ruling coalition, Racan said he and President Mesic would together
sign a decision on initiating changes to the Constitution so that it
could be discussed by parliament in mid-July. #L#
Racan also announced that he would present draft constitutional
changes and define their content at tomorrow's government session,
however, he would not talk about them in more detail.
There is complete agreement that constitutional changes should
enable a better understanding of relations between the Sabor,
Government and the President of the State for the sake of
parliamentary democracy, Racan said.
The Government and the President previously formed two separate
groups of legal experts, who drafted their concepts of
constitutional changes. The basic difference between those two
concepts was that the President's group suggested the dissolution
of the House of Counties.
Racan today said the Government accepted and supported most of the
suggestions by Mesic's group, adding the President agreed that the
House of Counties should be retained.
"Moreover, the constitutional changes are aimed at strengthening
his position in the Sabor, because we believe that he should protect
the interests of regional and local self-government more," Racan
added.
The Prime Minister announced that the decision regarding the
appointment of the new governor of the Croatian National Bank (HNB)
would be adopted before the extraordinary parliamentary session
this month and that applications would be invited for the positions
of the news agency Hina's director and editor-in-chief.
Answering a reporter's question, Racan said inviting applications
for the leading people of the state news agency was not contrary to
the Law on Hina, which does not envisage this option.
According to the Law on Hina of 1990, the agency's editor-in-chief
is appointed by the government and the director by the parliament's
House of Representatives.
(hina) jn rml