ZAGREB, Sept 24 (Hina) - The Croatian National Sabor's House of Representatives on Friday supported with a majority vote bills on the election of MPs and electoral units in the first reading, which were submitted by the Croatian
Democratic Union (HDZ) parliamentary bench.
ZAGREB, Sept 24 (Hina) - The Croatian National Sabor's House of
Representatives on Friday supported with a majority vote bills on
the election of MPs and electoral units in the first reading, which
were submitted by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ)
parliamentary bench. #L#
The Lower House refused in a majority vote the election bill
submitted by the parliamentary benches of six opposition parties,
which had been debated in November last year.
The House of Representatives also adopted and proclaimed a
Constitutional Law on the Constitutional Court, which is aimed at
strengthening the role of the Constitutional Court.
An agreement between the parties, which resulted in the bill, was
also confirmed by a vote because the Constitutional Law was adopted
unanimously.
After the House of Representatives supported HDZ's election bill
with a majority vote (70 votes for, 22 against, and two
abstentions), Luka Trconic of the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS)
requested a vote on the Opposition's election bill, which was
debated in November last year and the vote on which was then
postponed.
In a debate which followed the vote, opposition representatives
stressed both bills should be equal and go into the second reading.
HDZ's Drago Krpina and Vladimir Seks asked the Opposition Six not to
insist on the vote, so that a consensus could be reached in the next
several days. Insisting on the vote demonstrates a lack of
readiness to reach an agreement, said Krpina.
Trconic replied that both projects should be equal and they could be
equal only if both of them were sent into the second reading.
Radimir Cacic of the Croatian People's Party (HNS) joined the
Opposition's proposal on the vote, adding there was an internal
agreement among the Opposition that, should the vote on the
Opposition bill be taken first and the bill be adopted, the
Opposition would nevertheless support the HDZ's bill.
Had we been informed that they would vote for HDZ's bill, which is
based on a consensus, and the Opposition's bill is not based on a
consensus, then we could have reached an agreement about that, Seks
said. It would be absurd, he added, "for the HDZ to vote for the
Opposition bill now that the Opposition has rejected our bill".
Following the debate, the Lower House rejected with a majority vote
the Opposition election bill. Changes to the Election Law,
suggested by the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) and the Croatian
Pure Party of Rights (HCSP), discussed in November 1998, were
refused in a majority vote as well.
The House of Representatives adopted six laws confirming
international agreements or conventions, as well as several bills
in the first reading. A proposal by the HSP on establishing a
Croatian memorial centre was not supported.
After it debated foreign policy before the summer break, the House
of Representatives today adopted a report on foreign policy
submitted by Foreign Minister Mate Granic.
The agenda of the 42nd session, which will continue next week, was
amended with a bill on changes to the law on the protection of
soldiers and civilians - war invalids, suggested by Djurdja
Adlesic.
A proposal by Radimir Cacic on changes to the Law on Defence were
rejected with a majority vote. Cacic had proposed that military
service be reduced from ten to four months, to which HDZ's Seks
objected that it would require changes in the doctrine and
organisation of the armed forces, and would not result in saving but
rather decrease combat readiness and threaten national security.
Cacic refused Seks' claims, adding direct saving would amount to
about DM150 million.
(hina) rml