BROAD DISCUSSION ON CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES SET FOR THURSDAY

ZAGREB, Aug 30 (Hina) - About a hundred participants will participate in tomorrow's thematic discussion on best solutions for changes of the Croatian Constitution. They are expected to remove some dilemmas prior to the beginning of a job of elaboration of draft amendments to the Constitution. Thursday's discussion has been organised by the Sabor's Constitution, Rule Book and political system committee. This will be the first comprehensive discussion to take place since in July the Croatian national parliament's House of Representatives decided to launch procedures for the alteration of the Constitution. Present at the tomorrow's event will be parliamentary Constitution committee members, representatives of other parliamentary bodies, politicians and members of the working groups set by Croatia's President, Premier, the ruling six-party coalition, associations' representatives, employers and unionists. The head of the committee in charge of the Constitution, Rule Book and political system, Mato Arlovic said on Wednesday he was surprised that there had been no public discussion since in the mid- July the Sabor called on relevant subjects and all interested parties to consider the matter and voice their opinion. According to him, only experts discussed the proposed changes and some politicians addressed the issue on and off. Tomorrow's debate will revolve around material signed by Croatian President and PM and texts for possible solutions for the Constitution's changes, drafted by the President's and the ruling coalition's working groups as well as solutions adopted by several European countries. The House of Representatives decides on draft amendments by a majority vote. The Constitution's amendments can be adopted by two- thirds majority at the lower house after it is notified of the opinion of the upper house - the House of Counties. (hina) ms