ZAGREB, Oct 5 (Hina) - The House of Counties requested on Thursday that its deputies also be entitled to propose laws. Deputies believe that laws which the two parliamentary chambers decide equally about can be considered adopted only
if the same text of a law has been adopted by both chambers. They also request the right to impose suspensive veto on all other laws adopted by the House of Representatives. These requests were formulated as conclusions which were adopted by the upper house, after a debate on draft constitutional changes, at the end of the 46th session today. The deputies believe the proposed constitutional changes do not value the role of the House of Counties appropriately. The conclusions, which were supported and defined by a multiparty working group after the debate, urge that the House of Counties be allowed to voice its opinion on laws regulating national rights prior to their adoption
UPPER HOUSE ASKS THAT ITS DEPUTIES BE ENTITLED TO PROPOSE LAWS
ZAGREB, Oct 5 (Hina) - The House of Counties requested on Thursday
that its deputies also be entitled to propose laws.
Deputies believe that laws which the two parliamentary chambers
decide equally about can be considered adopted only if the same text
of a law has been adopted by both chambers. They also request the
right to impose suspensive veto on all other laws adopted by the
House of Representatives.
These requests were formulated as conclusions which were adopted by
the upper house, after a debate on draft constitutional changes, at
the end of the 46th session today.
The deputies believe the proposed constitutional changes do not
value the role of the House of Counties appropriately.
The conclusions, which were supported and defined by a multiparty
working group after the debate, urge that the House of Counties be
allowed to voice its opinion on laws regulating national rights
prior to their adoption. It is also requested that relations
between parliamentary chambers be regulated by a law instead of the
Rule Book and that the institute of Sabor Speaker be cancelled (the
president of the House of Representatives would no longer be the
president of the Sabor) with the aim of securing independent
operation of both houses.
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) deputies reiterated that it would
not be good for the word Croatian to be removed from the name
Croatian National Sabor. This name speaks about the strength of the
Sabor and removing the word Croatia could be an introduction into
the reshaping or annulment of the article which bans Croatia from
joining associations with other countries, said Ivan Brlekovic.
Liberal Party's Milan Markanjevic suggested one should consider
reducing the number of deputies sitting in the House of Counties as
well as giving the upper house an advisory role and electing experts
from all fields to it.
(hina) rml