ZAGREB, Oct 8 (Hina) - The elections for the Croatian parliament's House of Representatives should be held between 19 December and the first half of January, ruling party spokesman Ivica Ropus told reporters in Zagreb on Friday,
adding the exact date is in the jurisdiction of the President of the Republic.
ZAGREB, Oct 8 (Hina) - The elections for the Croatian parliament's
House of Representatives should be held between 19 December and the
first half of January, ruling party spokesman Ivica Ropus told
reporters in Zagreb on Friday, adding the exact date is in the
jurisdiction of the President of the Republic.#L#
Ropus said the Lower House was expected to be dissolved in early
November, and announced the passing of a new electoral law and rules
on television coverage of the pre-electoral campaign at the next
Lower House session.
The ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) will try to reach an
agreement with the opposition, the spokesman said.
The HDZ expects some 100,000 Croats from the Diaspora to be in
Croatia at election time, and the ruling party wants to make voting
for them as simple as possible.
Commenting on Opposition Six party group coordinator Vlado
Gotovac's urging of the replacement of Croatian Radio and
Television (HRT) editors who are members of the ruling party, Ropus
said the HDZ believed it was much more important to adopt a rule book
than implement political changes.
"It is the right of every HRT employee to belong to the party they
want to, but it is mandatory that they do their job professionally,"
the spokesman asserted.
A reporter asked whether parliament president Vlatko Pavletic's
mandate would expire at the same time as that of the House of
Representatives, 28 November. Ropus said the matter would be
discussed by the Lower House Committee for the Constitution, Rules
of Procedure, and Political System. The Constitutional Court will
also be consulted.
"We are inclined to believe the statement made by Constitutional
Court president Jadranko Crnic, published in the press, that the
president of parliament, regardless of the end of his mandate,
will retain authorities until a new president is elected," said
Ropus.
Asked to comment on an announcement that some former high ranking
state officials might appear on an independent list, the ruling
party's spokesman said he personally did not believe in the success
of such lists created just prior to elections. It is inconsiderate
of voters, he added.
"Those dissatisfied with their former party cannot put forward a
serious programme in such a short time," Ropus asserted.
Commenting on a recent visit to Canada of the leaders of the Social
Democratic Party and the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS),
Ropus said the visit was "delusive", and the two opposition leaders
"unreliable politicians."
He said HSLS' Budisa's statement on the reprogramming of Croatia's
debts and the very talks on the subject were unnecessary and
detrimental to Croatian economy.
(hina) ha jn