ZAGREB, Nov 21 (Hina) - The Presidency of the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS) at Sunday's closed session dismissed a draft of a possible normative solution concerning the arrangement of the institution about Croatia's President's
temporary disability to perform his duties submitted to them by Vladimir Seks of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) Saturday. HSS president Zlatko Tomcic told Hina after the session that the draft neither advocated a special law nor amendments to the Constitution. The HSS will request of the Government for urgent information about the true health condition of the President of the Republic, not wishing to undermine his personal dignity, but with the quest for a solution for the evident constitutional crisis. Following a possible request for such information from the Government, we will suggest an adequate form of defining the status of temporary disability of the President, Tomcic said.
ZAGREB, Nov 21 (Hina) - The Presidency of the Croatian Peasants'
Party (HSS) at Sunday's closed session dismissed a draft of a
possible normative solution concerning the arrangement of the
institution about Croatia's President's temporary disability to
perform his duties submitted to them by Vladimir Seks of the ruling
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) Saturday.
HSS president Zlatko Tomcic told Hina after the session that the
draft neither advocated a special law nor amendments to the
Constitution.
The HSS will request of the Government for urgent information about
the true health condition of the President of the Republic, not
wishing to undermine his personal dignity, but with the quest for a
solution for the evident constitutional crisis.
Following a possible request for such information from the
Government, we will suggest an adequate form of defining the status
of temporary disability of the President, Tomcic said.
The only thing acceptable for the HSS in the draft is the need to
define the status of the Parliament president who, in case of a
pronouncement of permanent disability, would perform presidential
duties after the Parliament is dissolved, Tomcic stressed.
The Croatian People's Party (HNS) issued a statement saying that in
the present situation in which Croatia stands before significant
and big changes in the leadership of the country, it the goal of the
HNS and every responsible political subject was a legal, peaceful
and quick transfer of authority.
The HNS will harmonise the need for applying the Constitution in
this situation with its coalition partners in the Opposition Six,
the statement said.
President of the Liberal Party (LS), Vlado Gotovac said the party
presidency had on Sunday agreed not to accept HDZ's motion and that
Article 97 of the Constitution should be applied.
The Article envisages that in the case of death, resignation or
permanent disability of the President to perform his duties, the
president of the Parliament takes over his duties, as determined by
the Constitutional Court at the request of the Government.
The elections for a new president are to be held within 60 days of
the end of office of the former President.
Gotovac holds the Article must be applied because "all the
circumstances indicate that the President is permanently disabled
from performing his duties and the Government must take appropriate
steps in this sense".
He said the party would discuss its stances with its political
partners, ahead of a meeting between the Opposition Six and the
Parliament president.
Main secretary of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), Jozo
Rados, said the party had dismissed the possibility of the
constitutional, legal and political crisis to be solved in a way as
motioned by the HDZ.
He stressed that formulations in HDZ's draft solution were
inprecise and superficial.
The HSLS is opposed to the issue being solved by adopting a special
law, and would discuss its suggestions with its political parties
Monday.
(hina) lml