ZAGREB, Oct 25 (Hina) - One has embarked on constitutional changes too quickly, Croatian President Stipe Mesic said on Wednesday, adding this was a mistake. Making changes to the Constitution constitutes a serious task requiring
consideration and the opinion of all relevant factors, Mesic told reporters in his office commenting on Tuesday's session of the parliamentary Committee on the Constitution, Rule Book and the Political System.
ZAGREB, Oct 25 (Hina) - One has embarked on constitutional changes
too quickly, Croatian President Stipe Mesic said on Wednesday,
adding this was a mistake.
Making changes to the Constitution constitutes a serious task
requiring consideration and the opinion of all relevant factors,
Mesic told reporters in his office commenting on Tuesday's session
of the parliamentary Committee on the Constitution, Rule Book and
the Political System. #L#
The committee rejected most of the draft constitutional changes
forwarded by President Mesic, including a suggestion that the
deadline for a debate on constitutional amendments be prolonged.
The committee's chairman Mato Arlovic said after yesterday's
session the parliament would decide about the constitutional
changes as planned, at a session which would start on November 8.
Mesic dismissed statements that he was trying to win greater powers
with constitutional changes. Quite the contrary, he said he wanted
the parliament to have a stronger role.
The government implements the policy approved by the Sabor and the
president of state is a firm point in the system with certain
powers. This means the president of state must command the army and
exert influence in the military command hierarchy. The president
must also have influence on foreign policy and see to the
implementation of the Constitution and laws, which is ruled out in
the Committee's draft on constitutional changes, Mesic said.
If anyone has to see to the implementation of the Constitution and
laws, that is the president because he is a firm point in the system,
said Mesic.
As regards intelligence services, Mesic disagrees with the
government's proposal that the president of state should control
military intelligence services and the government civil ones.
Mesic believes the process of appointing the head of the umbrella
intelligence service should, along with the president of state,
also include the parliament, as has to be the case with the
appointment of ambassadors. This means, he explained, that the
Constitution should read that the President of State suggests his
candidates to authorised committees (the Committee on Internal
Affairs and National Security and the Committee on Foreign Affairs)
and that the committees give their opinion, i.e. confirm or refuse
the President's candidates. In case of refusal, the President
suggests new candidates, but the final decision should still rest
with him.
This procedure would significantly strengthen the parliament,
Mesic said.
(hina) rml