JUDGES' ASSOCIATION INSISTS ON PUBLIC DEBATE ON CONST. AMENDMENTS

ZAGREB, Nov 6 (Hina) - The head of Croatian judges' association, Vladimir Gredelj, on Monday forwarded a letter to the House of Representatives asking for a public debate on draft amendments to the Constitution. Ahead of this week's parliamentary discussion on constitutional changes, this association has asked MPs to refuse every dictate as regards time terms for the adoption of the Constitution's changes. A way in which the volume and contents of the amendments has been determined gravely discredits Croatia as a law-based state and in advance dents the dignity of the future Constitution, the association asserted. The public discussion should include a greater number of non- governmental organisations and representatives of the civil society. It is in opposition to the dignity of the nation to promulgate a constitution on the basis of semi-public and mostly secret political negotiations, imbued with blackmailing, threats, conflicts and acts of bowing under pressure, Gredelj assessed. According to him, a failure to organise a public discussion means the ignoring and exclusion of democratic, intellectual and creative potentials that made it possible for the initial step in the democratic transformation of Croatia to be made on 3 January. Commenting on proposals about changes related to the judiciary, Gredelj claimed that they were in line with the political practice which had so far been done in attempts "to relegate the judiciary to a marginal status". Therefore, he added, judicial authorities, experts and the entire judiciary should be consulted in the elaboration of constitutional provisions about this part of power. (hina) jn ms