CRO PARLIAMENT TO BEGIN AUTUMN SESION IN MID-SEPTEMBER

ZAGREB, Aug 31 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament's autumn session will begin in mid-September, parliament president Vlatko Pavletic told reporters on Tuesday. The agenda, which will be specified next week, will include an electoral bill. If the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the opposition reach an agreement on the bill, the session will debate the bill's adjusted text, Pavletic said. In the contrary, the HDZ bench will probably put forward its own bill. Parliament has received numerous bills, Pavletic said, but explained the House of Representatives' present make-up will discuss only part of them, while the rest will be discussed by the post-election make-up. The present parliament composition cannot pass the state budget for the whole of next year, Pavletic said. The budget is the expression of the political programme for next year and it will be passed in keeping with the Constitution, he explained. The present Lower House mandate expires on November 27. It is still unknown whether representatives will work through that date or if they will use the possibility, granted by the Constitution, to dissolve beforehand. This depends on the date of the elections. (hina) ha jn