ZAGREB, Jan 21 (Hina) - Six Croatian opposition parties, known as the "Opposition Six", will not send their representatives along with a Croatian National Parliament delegation to Strasbourg to attend the session of the Council of
Europe's Parliamentary Assembly on January 28. Three opposition representatives will, however, attend the session of the Council's Monitoring Committee which will take place at the same time as the Parliamentary Assembly session, in order to explain the stance of the Opposition Six about the causes of a parliamentary crisis in Croatia, presidents of the six opposition parties told Hina on Thursday. Opposition Six representatives tendered their resignations to all parliament posts, maintaining their seats in Parliament, because their suggestion that a commission of inquiry should be established to probe into the legality of the work of intelligence services. One
ZAGREB, Jan 21 (Hina) - Six Croatian opposition parties, known as
the "Opposition Six", will not send their representatives along
with a Croatian National Parliament delegation to Strasbourg to
attend the session of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary
Assembly on January 28.
Three opposition representatives will, however, attend the session
of the Council's Monitoring Committee which will take place at the
same time as the Parliamentary Assembly session, in order to
explain the stance of the Opposition Six about the causes of a
parliamentary crisis in Croatia, presidents of the six opposition
parties told Hina on Thursday.
Opposition Six representatives tendered their resignations to all
parliament posts, maintaining their seats in Parliament, because
their suggestion that a commission of inquiry should be established
to probe into the legality of the work of intelligence services.
One of the functions they resigned from is membership in the
parliamentary delegation at the CoE Parliamentary Assembly.
Presidents of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Croatian Social
Liberal Party (HSLS), Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS), Istrian
Democratic Assembly (IDS), Liberal Party (LS) and the Croatian
People's Party (HNS) in separate phone conversations expressed
profound doubt that the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ)
could accept the requests of the Opposition Six on the
establishment of a commission of inquiry.
They also expressed doubt in the possibility of an amendment to the
Electoral Law, concerning the abolishment of a special list for the
Diaspora.
Their doubts were further booted by Wednesday's assessment of
President Franjo Tudjman that intelligence services had last year
"exceptionally successfully" performed their basic tasks, as well
as his remark that changes to electoral laws were the means of
"certain, influential European and American circles" to renew the
former Yugoslavia, without Slovenia, but including Albania.
Unofficial sources have confirmed that Snjezana Biga-Friganovic of
the SDP, Jozo Rados of the HSLS and Stjepan Radic of the HSS would
attend the Monitoring Committee session in Strasbourg.
(hina) lml jn