ZAGREB, Jan 27 (Hina) - The Croatian Sabor's House of Counties on Wednesday proposed to the House of Representatives that it appoint Milan Vukovic a Constitutional Court judge. Representatives of four Opposition parties
(Social-Democratic Party - SDP, Croatian Social-Liberal Party - HSLS, Croatian Peasants' Party - HSS and Liberal Party - LS) left the session before the house took the vote, dissatisfied with the fact that a discussion on the state of the judiciary had not taken place first. The remaining representatives, mostly those from the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) took the vote and decided to propose to the Lower House that Vukovic be appointed a Constitutional Court judge. Milan Vukovic put his mandate as Supreme Court president on disposal on January 23, following President Franjo Tudjman's report on the state of the nation, in which he expressed dissatisfaction with the current
ZAGREB, Jan 27 (Hina) - The Croatian Sabor's House of Counties on
Wednesday proposed to the House of Representatives that it appoint
Milan Vukovic a Constitutional Court judge.
Representatives of four Opposition parties (Social-Democratic
Party - SDP, Croatian Social-Liberal Party - HSLS, Croatian
Peasants' Party - HSS and Liberal Party - LS) left the session
before the house took the vote, dissatisfied with the fact that a
discussion on the state of the judiciary had not taken place first.
The remaining representatives, mostly those from the Croatian
Democratic Union (HDZ) took the vote and decided to propose to the
Lower House that Vukovic be appointed a Constitutional Court
judge.
Milan Vukovic put his mandate as Supreme Court president on
disposal on January 23, following President Franjo Tudjman's
report on the state of the nation, in which he expressed
dissatisfaction with the current situation in the judiciary and
requested that responsibility and disciplinary measures for poor
performance be sharpened.
On Monday, January 25, the Judiciary and Appointments Committee of
the House of Counties proposed that Vukovic be appointed a
Constitutional Court judge.
In the last two years, the Constitutional Court had ten judges, with
one vacant position. The position became vacant after Vukovic was
appointed Supreme Court president, the post held by Krunislav
Olujic, who had been replaced.
The president and five judges of the Constitutional Court on
Tuesday released a statement saying Vukovic did not meet the
conditions for the position of a Constitutional Court judge.
After they walked out of the House of County's session today,
Opposition MPs called a news conference at which they said that one
of the reasons they did not want to take the vote was the fact that it
was still unclear whether Vukovic had resigned from his post at
all.
They expressed belief that his election as a Constitutional Court
judge would have damaging consequences for the judiciary, as well
as for Croatia's international position.
The Opposition MPs asked that the deadline for candidacy for the
position of a Constitutional Court judge should be at least one
month because they believed that there were other persons
interested in the position, who had not been notified about it.
Some Opposition MPs described the attempts to appoint Vukovic as an
"ambush" and a "revolutionary method".
Ivan Aralica (HDZ) defended Vukovic's election, praising him as a
man of great morals and courage and a true patriot, who defended his
beliefs even in the times of Communism.
Commenting on the rejection of Vukovic by some of the
Constitutional Court judges, Aralica said their act was a sign of
their personal dislike for Vukovic.
An appointed MP Slobodan Lang also took Vukovic's side. Lang
interpreted Vukovic's recent statement that Croats could not have
committed war crimes only as his attempt to clearly draw the line
between the aggressor and the victim.
(hina) jn rml