ZAGREB, Oct 27 (Hina) - The non-government organisation GONG (citizens organise to supervise elections) will attempt to make a so-called orange amendment to enter parliamentary procedure. The amendment is to the electoral bill,
requesting detailed provisions on the rights and commitments of domestic non-party observers. GONG spokeswoman Aleksandra Kuratko said that GONG activists had dealt out their orange pamphlets to MPs in front o the parliament building in Zagreb on Wednesday. GONG is advocating the right for an authorised observer to be privy to the entire electoral material, to have the possibility of observing the electoral procedure and placing criticisms in minutes. GONG's executive director Suzana Jasic said the new electoral bill envisages observation of elections by non-government associations, but Article 106, regulating the issue, was too general. "We do not want the situation from the past elections to be repeated
ZAGREB, Oct 27 (Hina) - The non-government organisation GONG
(citizens organise to supervise elections) will attempt to make a
so-called orange amendment to enter parliamentary procedure. The
amendment is to the electoral bill, requesting detailed provisions
on the rights and commitments of domestic non-party observers.
GONG spokeswoman Aleksandra Kuratko said that GONG activists had
dealt out their orange pamphlets to MPs in front o the parliament
building in Zagreb on Wednesday.
GONG is advocating the right for an authorised observer to be privy
to the entire electoral material, to have the possibility of
observing the electoral procedure and placing criticisms in
minutes.
GONG's executive director Suzana Jasic said the new electoral bill
envisages observation of elections by non-government
associations, but Article 106, regulating the issue, was too
general.
"We do not want the situation from the past elections to be repeated
when the State Electoral Commission forbade us to enter polling
stations," Jasic said.
GONG is thus advocating a more precise electoral law which would
enable its members to undisturbed, supervise the voting and
counting of ballots.
"Frequent changes to the electoral law made by the (ruling)
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the setting of various
conditions by the Opposition, made us forget in the six months of
negotiations, that elections are being held because of citizens,
not because of parties," Kuratko said.
GONG's petition, requesting the legal regulation of the rights and
commitments of domestic and foreign electoral observers, was
signed by about 28,000 citizens in thirty Croatian towns.
The petition was handed to Parliament president Vlatko Pavletic.
(hina) lml jn