ZAGREB, Nov 6 (Hina) - The Croatian national parliament's House of Counties at a session Monday evening dismissed constitutional amendments motioned by the House of Representatives' Committee for the Constitution. The Croatian
Democratic Union (HDZ) parliamentary bench, which holds the majority in the House of Counties, assessed that the constitutional amendments represented a parliamentary system in which the balance had been disturbed to the advantage of the government.
ZAGREB, Nov 6 (Hina) - The Croatian national parliament's House of
Counties at a session Monday evening dismissed constitutional
amendments motioned by the House of Representatives' Committee for
the Constitution.
The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) parliamentary bench, which
holds the majority in the House of Counties, assessed that the
constitutional amendments represented a parliamentary system in
which the balance had been disturbed to the advantage of the
government.#L#
The introduction of a parliamentary political system replacing the
semi-presidential one, the removal of obstacles for the further
development of democracy, securing conditions for needed social
reforms and the creation of foundations for Croatia's speedy
accession into European associations are the essential goals of the
constitutional amendments, chairman of the motioner, the
Parliament's committee for the Constitution, Rule Book and
Political System, Mato Arlovic, said before the House.
He added the amendments to the Constitution also aimed at
consolidating direct democracy, so a referendum should be called on
key issues such as the issue of Croatia's association with other
countries.
The basic values defined in the Constitution, he stressed, such as
the provision defining Croatia as a unified, democratic and social
state, and the stipulation of authority by the people, would not
change, Arlovic asserted.
Should the Parliament adopt the motioned amendments, grounds will
be created for implementing the necessary reforms in politics,
economy, social legislature, and the justice system, enabling
further development of the Croatian society, he concluded.
The HDZ is against the changing of the name of the Croatian national
parliament, the implementation of regional self-government, and
the reduction of the House of Counties' authority.
The constitutional amendments came down to the struggle for power
between the President of State and the Prime Minister, and it is
obvious that the Prime Minister has won the battle which gives
Croatia a semi-chancellor authority system, Ivan Brlekovic said on
behalf of the HDZ.
On behalf of the Democratic Centre (DC) parliamentary bench, Zlatko
Vitez demanded that the issue of monitoring intelligence services
be removed from the text of the Constitution.
"The Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) is against considering that a
possibility of renewing certain court processes, if requested by
international agreements, be included in the Constitution. This
foresees the competence of certain transnational courts, namely a
possibility of endorsing the competence, Miroslav Rozic said on
behalf of the HSP and the Croatian Christian Democratic Union.
(hina) it jn