ZAGREB, June 7 (Hina) - The head of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) parliamentary bench, Vladimir Seks, and representatives of five Opposition parties and minorities discussed a draft election law in Zagreb on Monday. The meeting
was attended by representatives of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP), Croatian Pure Party of Rights (HCSP), Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU), Medjimurje Christian Democrats (KDM) and the Croatian Planes Party (SHR), as well as a representative of the parliamentary minority bench. The two sides agreed that the main questions in the draft were not disputable, including the part on the right to vote for Croatian citizens without permanent residence in Croatia (a separate electoral unit and determining the number of Diaspora representatives in proportion to the number of voters who took part in the elections). However, their views differed as regards minority repr
ZAGREB, June 7 (Hina) - The head of the Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ) parliamentary bench, Vladimir Seks, and representatives of
five Opposition parties and minorities discussed a draft election
law in Zagreb on Monday.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Croatian Party
of Rights (HSP), Croatian Pure Party of Rights (HCSP), Croatian
Christian Democratic Union (HKDU), Medjimurje Christian Democrats
(KDM) and the Croatian Planes Party (SHR), as well as a
representative of the parliamentary minority bench.
The two sides agreed that the main questions in the draft were not
disputable, including the part on the right to vote for Croatian
citizens without permanent residence in Croatia (a separate
electoral unit and determining the number of Diaspora
representatives in proportion to the number of voters who took part
in the elections). However, their views differed as regards
minority representation.
Njegovan Starek (the national minorities bench) claims the draft
does not take into consideration direct representation, acquired
minority rights and the 1991 census. Starek suggested that the
number of minority representatives be increased from five to eight,
so that Bosniaks, Slovenes, Montenegrins, Jews, Albanians,
Macedonians and Romany could have their MPs as well.
Ivan Gabelica (HCSP) said the right to vote and be elected was
general and equal, and the minorities could not vote both for the
general and minority lists. He suggested that the Constitutional
Court be asked for opinion on this matter.
Speaking about the Diaspora vote, Miroslav Rozic (HSP) proposes the
introduction of the so-called postal, that is, absentee ballot,
which is common in a number of countries, including the United
States and Canada. Rozic believes the bearer of all lists of a party
should be one and the same person. The question of whether one
person can be on election lists in several electoral units needs to
be solved, he added.
Some participants in today's meeting estimated that no party which
wins five per cent of votes + one vote will have a representative in
the parliament if the proposed election threshold of five per cent
and the election of 12 MPs in electoral units are supported.
The number of representatives should therefore be increased to as
many as 15, some party representatives said.
Slavko Vuksic (SHR) proposed that as many representatives as
possible should be elected in electoral units with the election
threshold of eight per cent.
As regards the suggestion to increase the number of MPs who would be
elected in electoral units, Seks said Opposition parties had
different stances. This question will certainly remain open until
the election law is adopted, he assessed.
As regards party representatives in election commissions and
committees, HCSP representatives suggested that each party
participating in the elections should have its representative in
election committees, but Seks believed this would be too
expensive.
(hina) jn rml