ZAGREB, June 23 (Hina) - The Croatian National Sabor's House of Representatives on Wednesday included a discussion on Croatia's intelligence and security system into the agenda of the 41st session. Although they agreed with the title
of the discussion, Opposition MPs presented a series of objections to the explanation the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) submitted with the proposal. Most of the objections referred to the section which says that data regarded as secret and data on the organisation of security services cannot be the subject matter of the discussion. Antun Vujic of the Social-Democratic Party (SDP) did not oppose the idea that the debate be held under the current title, but he believed it was the violation of constitutional principles for the proposing party to regulate what could and what could not be the subject matter of the discussion. Vladimir Seks of the HDZ believed one c
ZAGREB, June 23 (Hina) - The Croatian National Sabor's House of
Representatives on Wednesday included a discussion on Croatia's
intelligence and security system into the agenda of the 41st
session.
Although they agreed with the title of the discussion, Opposition
MPs presented a series of objections to the explanation the
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) submitted with the proposal.
Most of the objections referred to the section which says that data
regarded as secret and data on the organisation of security
services cannot be the subject matter of the discussion.
Antun Vujic of the Social-Democratic Party (SDP) did not oppose the
idea that the debate be held under the current title, but he
believed it was the violation of constitutional principles for the
proposing party to regulate what could and what could not be the
subject matter of the discussion.
Vladimir Seks of the HDZ believed one could not debate data which
the Interior Ministry, Defence Ministry of the Office for National
Security (UNS) regard as secrets, and data which have been
proclaimed a state, military or official secret.
Seks said that the title of the discussion had been copied from the
draft agreement between the "Opposition Six" and the HDZ, and that
both the HDZ and the Opposition Six had suggested a public debate
with identical titles, only their explanations were different.
Bozo Kovacevic of the Liberal Party (LS) also believes HDZ's
explanation is unacceptable. According to Kovacevic, the HDZ bench
is suggesting that the subject matter of the public debate not be
discussed. What has been published in the papers cannot be
considered a secret any more, Kovacevic believes.
Djurdja Adlesic of the Croatian Social-Liberal Party (HSLS)
accepted the proposed title of the discussion because she believed
it was the only way to discuss the intelligence and security
services. She dismissed HDZ's explanation as anachronistic.
"We cannot allow to be told what we can or cannot say, and one cannot
consider a secret what has already leaked", she added.
Mato Arlovic of the SDP suggested that the plenary debate be public
and that documents marked "secret" be discussed at a closed session
of the Lower House.
The debate on Croatia's intelligence and security services has been
included into the agenda of the 41st session only today, although
"Opposition Six" benches suggested a debate on the matter ten days
ago. However, it was only their proposal on establishing a
commission of inquiry to probe into the work of those services that
was included in the agenda. The Opposition's suggestion on the
public debate was not accepted then because the HDZ objected that
the Opposition's explanation contained prejudiced assessments and
views.
At the beginning of this week's session, the agenda was also amended
with a dozen other items, including a package of bills on the
protection of intellectual property.
(hina) rml