BUDAPEST, Oct 19 (Hina) - Croatian President Stipe Mesic on Thursday announced an impending meeting with Prime Minister Ivica Racan focusing on draft amendments to the Constitution.
BUDAPEST, Oct 19 (Hina) - Croatian President Stipe Mesic on
Thursday announced an impending meeting with Prime Minister Ivica
Racan focusing on draft amendments to the Constitution. #L#
Mesic on Wednesday forwarded his comments on draft constitutional
changes as drawn up by the parliament's Committee for the
Constitution, Rule Book and Political System to the Committee,
presidents of parliament party benches and the Prime Minister .
Mesic had mostly criticised provisions regulating the status of the
President of the Republic within the political system.
In reply to questions by Croatian reporters covering his visit to
Hungary, Mesic said it was "completely logical" for him to discuss
his comments with the Prime Minister.
Such a discussion should surprise nobody as it touches the subject
of the function of the President.
"I cannot participate in a parliamentary discussion, but I can, and
after all, must, state my opinion," Mesic said.
"We will try to find a solution which will balance relations and
make it possible for the Parliament to get a clear draft which can be
adopted by consensus, Mesic said.
He holds that what he had promised in the electoral campaign -- a
balanced relationship among the President, Parliament and
Government -- must be reflected in the constitutional changes. They
must serve a better functioning of the state, not any one section of
authority, he said.
Mesic's comments include the stance that the established draft
constitutional changes had side-tracked from an agreement and a
harmonised text drawn up by working groups (the President and six
ruling parties) which he had signed together with Racan before its
being forwarded into parliamentary procedure.
The draft now cumulates control mechanisms which restricting
presidential authority to the point of rendering the head of state a
pure formality, Mesic holds.
The moot point is that the draft envisages a control of presidential
acts before (at the suggestion of the Government) and after they are
passed (with the co-signature of the prime minister).
Mesic holds that such a cumulating of control mechanisms was
legally impermissible and the institution of co-signing should be
the only one remaining.
The Government's suggestion and the co-signature of the prime
minister in practice would mean, for example, that the President of
the Republic would not be able to appoint any ambassador without the
suggestion of the prime minister. Even after his decision on
appointment, the prime minister could, should he disagree with the
President's choice, refuse to co-sign the appointment, Mesic
added.
He also holds the draft's weakness was the fact that individual
cases of when the parliament's Lower House could be dissolved were
not specified, which the current Constitution does.
An article of the Constitution relating to the Croatian National
Bank (HNB) should be supplemented by a provision on the appointment
of the Bank's governor and members of the HNB Governor Council,
Mesic holds. According to him, they should be appointed by the
Parliament at the suggestion of the President to ensure the central
bank's independence.
Officials of the Croatian Government have still not officially
stated their views of Mesic's stances issued Wednesday.
Luka Trconic (Croatian Peasants' Party), a member of the Committee
for the Constitution, described Mesic's intervention as very
rational, and, as from the view of the Croatian Peasants' Party,
which is one of the ruling coalition of six parties, holds "it is not
impossible for many important provisions to be refused".
Stating the stance of his party, Trconic assessed the President's
views were not of a nature as to hinder the harmonising of views
between him and the Government, and reaching a quality joint
solution on the changes to the Constitution.
I am convinced these are misunderstandings and not a restriction of
presidential authorities, Trconic asserted. He added the
misunderstandings occurred because a pure parliamentary system did
not stand a direct election of the president as in such a system the
president was being elected in the parliament.
If the institute of direct election is to be maintained such as is
the case in Croatia, the President must be given original
authorities according to the Constitution. Then the President
"cannot be a rubber plant", Trconic said alluding to Mesic's
expression signifying a decorative role of the head of state.
Trconic held some Mesic's suggestions as unacceptable, such as the
one regarding the Croatian National Bank.
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