HDZ TO LAUNCH DEBATES ON PREMIER'S, PRESIDENT OF STATE'S CONDUCT

ZAGREB, Sept 25 (Hina) - The parliamentary bench of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) in the House of Counties, where the party holds the majority of seats, will request that the upper house on Tuesday discuss threats to the constitutional and legal order and the functioning of the law-based state, the bench decided on Monday. Most members of the bench have supported this request with their signatures. A reason which, according to HDZ deputies, calls for a debate, is statements by the highest state officials - the Presidents of the State and Government - regarding the apprehension of some Croatian Army members suspected of war crimes and other criminal acts. The HDZ claims both the Prime Minister and the President of the State have prejudged the responsibility of the apprehended persons thus jeopardising the constitutional order, as well as that they are criminalising the Homeland War with their statements. According to unofficial sources, the debate will focus on the adoption of a document, most probably a declaration on the Homeland War. The upper house tomorrow starts its 45th session, the first after the summer break. The HDZ bench, which early this year lost the parliamentary election and became the largest opposition party in Croatia, earlier announced that it would request a debate on the same topic at the first session of the House of Representatives. (hina) jn rml