COMMITTEE ON INTERNAL POLICY DISCUSSES REORGANISATION OF DEFENCE MINISTRY

VARAZDIN, July 10 (Hina) - The House of Representatives' Committee on Internal Policy and National Security held a session at an army barracks in the northern town of Varazdin on Monday. Submitted at the session were reports on the reorganisation of the Defence Ministry and the operation of the Security and Intelligence Service (SIS). The Committee's chairwoman Djurdja Adlesic told reporters a draft on the reorganisation of the Defence Ministry was presented at the session. There have been delays with the submission of the draft because some acts have not been adopted yet and constitutional changes are only being sent into parliamentary reading, which is why the ministry's reorganisation will be discussed in autumn, Adlesic said. "We support the proposal on reducing the number of employees and Armed Forces' reserve members. The Ministry of Defence has to be modernised and equipped better," Adlesic said, adding the session also discussed reducing the military service to six months. "The session also heard a report on the situation at the SIS as the new authority had encountered it. Measures which have been proposed, such as reducing the number of employees, will not be very popular, and harsh penalties have been announced for mistakes," Adlesic said. She also announced two topics the Committee would discuss in July - the situation at the Croatian Intelligence Service (HIS) and a concept of military and intelligence services. Defence Minister Jozo Rados said today's session did not adopt any conclusions because members of the Committee were acquainting themselves with the work and plans. (hina) jn rml