ZAGREB, Sept 23 (Hina) - The head of the ruling HDZ bench, Vladimir Seks, on Thursday evening called on opposition parties to try to harmonise views on the electoral legislation. We believe it isn't still too late, Seks said after an
eight-hour-long debate in the Croatian national Sabor's House of Representatives on the election bill proposed by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) Seks offered a" reconciliatory hand" for reaching agreement on the election bill, electoral units bill and rules for the Croatian Radio and Television so that agreed-upon changes could be incorporated into the election law. The issue of the May agreement between the HDZ and the Opposition Six dominated the parliamentary debate. Several MPs expressed regret at a lack of agreement and pointed that it would be good to reach a consensus until the second reading of aforementioned bills. According to Smiljko Sokol of the HDZ, who is a m
ZAGREB, Sept 23 (Hina) - The head of the ruling HDZ bench, Vladimir
Seks, on Thursday evening called on opposition parties to try to
harmonise views on the electoral legislation.
We believe it isn't still too late, Seks said after an eight-hour-
long debate in the Croatian national Sabor's House of
Representatives on the election bill proposed by the Croatian
Democratic Union (HDZ)
Seks offered a" reconciliatory hand" for reaching agreement on the
election bill, electoral units bill and rules for the Croatian
Radio and Television so that agreed-upon changes could be
incorporated into the election law.
The issue of the May agreement between the HDZ and the Opposition
Six dominated the parliamentary debate.
Several MPs expressed regret at a lack of agreement and pointed that
it would be good to reach a consensus until the second reading of
aforementioned bills.
According to Smiljko Sokol of the HDZ, who is a member of the expert
group, the contents of the proposed (election) bill with certain
amendments but not too large ones, make it possible to have a
consensus if there is a little will. The political consensus would
be very important for a democratic atmposphere of the forthcoming
election and would be a guarantee for the permanency and stability
of the Croatian electoral system, Sokol explained.
Responding to complaints about announcements by the HDZ that a
fixed quota and voting by mail may be introduced for Croatia's
citizens abroad, Seks said it had been said at the session of the HDZ
bench and had been provoked by statements from the Opposition Six
that the Agreement did not oblige them any longer.
MPs showed different views on the number of seats for the Croatian
Diaspora and for national minorities in the Sabor.
Deputies pointed to the doubt whether it would be in line with the
Constitution that national minorities' representatives have
rotating mandates in the parliament.
Some proposed an increase of the number of representatives of a
constituency from 12 to 15. In addition, it was suggested that
carriers of the lists be abolished, university student be able to
vote where they study and that a special procedure be introduced for
the representation of women.
The lower house continued the work by a debate on bill on electoral
units, proposed by the HDZ.
(hina) ms