ZAGREB, Sept 22 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament's Committee for the Constitution, Rule Book, and the Political System on Friday formulated draft constitutional changes referring to the government and the judiciary. Next week, the
Committee will decide whether parliament is going to change its name from Hrvatski drzavni sabor (Croatian state parliament) into Hrvatski sabor (Croatian parliament). It was said at today's session the second name would reflect the fact that the Sabor represents the citizens and not the state, and that it remains in the tradition of Croatian parliamentarism. Committee chairman Mato Arlovic said the draft constitutional changes strengthened the parliamentary system. According to the changes, in case the government or prime minister were denied the vote of confidence and a new government failed to be elected within 30 days, the Prime Minister and Governm
ZAGREB, Sept 22 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament's Committee for
the Constitution, Rule Book, and the Political System on Friday
formulated draft constitutional changes referring to the
government and the judiciary.
Next week, the Committee will decide whether parliament is going to
change its name from Hrvatski drzavni sabor (Croatian state
parliament) into Hrvatski sabor (Croatian parliament). It was said
at today's session the second name would reflect the fact that the
Sabor represents the citizens and not the state, and that it remains
in the tradition of Croatian parliamentarism.
Committee chairman Mato Arlovic said the draft constitutional
changes strengthened the parliamentary system.
According to the changes, in case the government or prime minister
were denied the vote of confidence and a new government failed to be
elected within 30 days, the Prime Minister and Government would be
entitled to move dissolving parliament's House of Representatives
before the President of the Republic. He would then have to dissolve
the lower house and call elections.
The draft constitutional changes offer an alternative in case the
Prime Minister and Government resign or are denied confidence. The
lower house could then be dissolved by the President of the
Republic.
Another new aspect is a better definition of when the government
assumes office, namely after the lower house decides to give
confidence to the government, i.e. the prime minister, and presents
the government's programme and composition to the lower house.
The Committee for the Constitution, Rule Book, and the Political
System meets next week to formulate the final draft of
constitutional changes and forward it into parliamentary
procedure.
(hina) ha jn