ZAGREB, Aug 31 (Hina) - The first broad discussion on a draft on constitutional changes, which are primarily aimed at transforming Croatia's semi-presidential political system into a parliamentary one, was held at the Croatian
National Sabor on Thursday. No conclusions were adopted at the end of the meeting considering that the draft should soon be discussed by parliamentary working bodies. Participating in the discussion, along with members of the House of Representatives' Committee on the Constitution, Rule Book and Political System and the Committee on Legislation, were representatives of other parliamentary bodies, political parties, working groups for drawing up constitutional changes of the President's Office and the ruling six-party coalition, as well as representatives of citizens' associations, employers and unions. Branko Smerdel, a member of a working group of the President of the Republic in char
ZAGREB, Aug 31 (Hina) - The first broad discussion on a draft on
constitutional changes, which are primarily aimed at transforming
Croatia's semi-presidential political system into a parliamentary
one, was held at the Croatian National Sabor on Thursday.
No conclusions were adopted at the end of the meeting considering
that the draft should soon be discussed by parliamentary working
bodies.
Participating in the discussion, along with members of the House of
Representatives' Committee on the Constitution, Rule Book and
Political System and the Committee on Legislation, were
representatives of other parliamentary bodies, political parties,
working groups for drawing up constitutional changes of the
President's Office and the ruling six-party coalition, as well as
representatives of citizens' associations, employers and unions.
Branko Smerdel, a member of a working group of the President of the
Republic in charge of drawing up constitutional changes, suggested
today that constitutional regulations on the organisation of
authority of the President, Government and the Sabor and their
relations, as well as regulations on the distribution of authority
be taken out from the draft on constitutional changes and sent into
urgent parliamentary procedure.
Justice Minister Stjepan Ivanisevic, a member of an expert group of
the six-party coalition, judged on his own behalf Smerdel's
proposal as good.
Ivanisevic said Smerdel's proposal significantly revised the text
of the draft on constitutional changes but it created a possibility
for other proposed constitutional changes to be debated under less
time pressure.
A member of the opposition Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ),
Vladimir Seks, warned one should be cautious and avoid "replacing
the system with a strong president only to get another one with a
strong premier and great chancellor's powers."
Ivo Skrabalo of the Croatian Social-Liberal Party (HSLS), a member
of the ruling coalition, warned about the same danger formulating
it somewhat differently. He said one should be careful not to "go
from the semi-presidential into the semi-parliamentary system."
In a debate on whether the Sabor should have one or two chambers,
Skrabalo said it was justified for Croatia to have a two-chamber
parliament although Croatia was not a federal state. The House of
Counties could, according to Skrabalo, apart from local, also
represent special interests of minorities and the Diaspora.
Supreme Court President Marijan Ramuscak said the proposed changes
to the Constitution "reduce the powers of judicial autonomy at a
surprising degree in relation to the other two authorities."
A former president of the Constitutional Court, Jadranko Crnic,
however, disagreed with Ramuscak.
(hina) jn rml