ZAGREB, Nov 9 (Hina) - Parliament's House of Representatives on Thursday evening adopted changes to the constitution, by which the ruling six-party coalition kept its promise made ahead of January's parliamentary elections that it
would transform the semi-presidential into a parliamentary system of authority. The changes were adopted with 106 votes in favour, 35 against, and one abstention. The lower house also adopted a decision proclaiming the change of the constitution, with 108 votes in favour and 34 abstentions. The adopted changes are effective immediately.
ZAGREB, Nov 9 (Hina) - Parliament's House of Representatives on
Thursday evening adopted changes to the constitution, by which the
ruling six-party coalition kept its promise made ahead of January's
parliamentary elections that it would transform the semi-
presidential into a parliamentary system of authority.
The changes were adopted with 106 votes in favour, 35 against, and
one abstention. The lower house also adopted a decision proclaiming
the change of the constitution, with 108 votes in favour and 34
abstentions. The adopted changes are effective immediately.#L#
The votes in favour came from all deputies of the ruling coalition,
regional parties, the Democratic Centre Party, the deputies of the
Croatian Party of Rights/Croatian Christian Democratic Union bench
in attendance, minorities' deputies, and former Croatian
Democratic Union (HDZ) members Djuro Njavro and Zlatko Canjuga.
Deputies of HDZ, the strongest opposition party, voted against the
changes, while independent deputy Ivo Loncar abstained.
Attending the session were 142 out of a total of 151 deputies, as
well as Prime Minister Ivica Racan and the ministers.
According to the changes, parliament is called Hrvatski sabor
(Croatian parliament), and has two houses. The role and status of
the House of Counties has been re-defined, giving it the right to
participate in decision-making on bills referring to human rights,
the electoral system, and jurisdiction of bodies of state
administration. The upper house's suspension veto has been
restricted to cases of breach of rights of units of local and
regional self-government in bills passed without the lower house.
A provision giving the president of the republic the right to
dissolve the lower house, at the government's proposal and with the
prime minister's co-signature, and after consultations with bench
representatives, has been additionally specified. The president
may do so if the House of Representatives gives a vote of no
confidence in the government after the government has called for
the vote, or if the lower house fails to adopt the state budget
within 120 days.
The term 'regional self-government' has been introduced into the
constitution, as have values on the equality of the sexes into
provisions on fundamental values.
In the future, parliament will have to call a referendum on
important issues if ten percent of the electoral body demands so
with signatures.
The amended constitution contains a provision on 'positive
discrimination' under which, besides the general right to vote,
minorities may be given a special right to vote by law.
New provisions on the judiciary have ensured conditions to pursue
with reforms in said field.
The adoption of the constitutional amendments ended a four-month
process which officially began on July 3 with a draft decision to
approach the amendment of the constitution. The decision was
submitted by the government, with the president of the republic's
co-signature.
The House of Representatives passed a decision to approach the
amendment of the constitution at a July 15 extraordinary session,
when it was also decided that parliament's Committee on the
Constitution, Rule Book and Political System was to move the
formulation of draft constitutional amendments.
On Oct. 10, the lower house formulated the draft and decided it
would serve as the basis on which the Committee would submit a
constitutional amendments motion.
The amendments adopted tonight are the second to the 1991
constitution. The first were adopted in December 1997.
(hina) ha