ZAGREB, Oct 29 (Hina) - Following almost one hundred explanations to proposed amendments, the Croatian Sabor's Lower House on Friday adopted a new election act.
ZAGREB, Oct 29 (Hina) - Following almost one hundred explanations
to proposed amendments, the Croatian Sabor's Lower House on Friday
adopted a new election act.#L#
The act concerning the election of representatives to the Croatian
National Sabor was adopted with 74 votes in favour, 23 against and
three sustained votes. The law on electoral units was adopted with
74 votes for and 15 against.
Accordingly, the December elections in Croatia will see the
election of 140 representatives in 10 units, that is 14
representatives per unit. A separate, eleventh unit is intended for
Croatian citizens not resident in Croatia. The number of
representatives in this unit will be determined by the so-called
non fixed quota, that is, this will depend on the value of one
mandate in Croatia.
A twelfth unit consisting of Croatia as a whole is allocated for
indigenous national minorities who will choose five
representatives.
The Serb, Italian and Hungarian minorities will vote for one
representative each while the Czech and Slovak communities will
elect one representative between them as will the German, Austrian,
Jewish, Ruthenian and Ukraine minorities.
This means that the future Lower House will consist of almost the
constitutionally allowed maximum of 160 representatives. The
current number is 127.
In order to enter the Sabor, parties or coalitions will need to gain
at least five per cent of the votes which represents the election
threshold.
In the series of amendments adopted, representatives will be
limited even further in activities allowed during their mandate. As
such, MP's will not be able to be members of the boards of commercial
companies, institutions or funds outside the budget but owned by
the state or heads of legal bodies obliged to report to the Sabor.
According to the act adopted today, each voter will be submitted
with an extract from the electoral roll no later than eight days
prior to the election.
Postal votes were not adopted nor was the proposal to increase the
number of minority representatives or a compulsory female quota,
nor an upper limit allowed (two million kunas) of personal funds to
be spent on election campaigning.
Vladimir Seks suggested that political parties place the names of
women and minority candidates at the beginning of their party
listings which would help enable these to enter the Sabor.
Financial grants are to be used according to each party's available
resources.
(hina) jn sp