PARLIAMENT PARTY BENCHES DISCUSS CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

ZAGREB, Nov 24 (Hina) - President of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) Parliament party bench, Vladimir Seks, stressed Wednesday the party would not accept the application of Article 97 of the Constitution which speaks about the institute of permanent disability of the President of the Republic to perform his duties. "The President of the Republic is alive, he and his doctors are fighting for his life. The HDZ will for no reason consent to the institute of permanent disability to be applied, for his presidential honour and duties to be taken away from him," Seks said. He asserted this during a discussion about a draft constitutional law on the temporary disability of the President at Wednesday's session of the Croatian National Parliament House of Representatives. Radimir Cacic of the Croatian People's Party/Istrian Democratic Forum (HNS/IDF) described as concerning the fact that the Government and representatives of the HDZ were clearly declaring that they were not prepared, notwithstanding the circumstances, to initiate a permanent transfer of presidential authority to the Parliament president. Drazen Budisa of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) also motioned for a special law to be passed and Article 97 of the Constitution applied. "We are all aware that circumstances described in Article 97 of the Constitution have occurred. The only question is who dares say so and who is deluding others," Budisa said, recalling the latest statements issued by the President's doctors' consultation. Seks replied to these motions very harshly. He described requests for Article 97 to be applied as advocating that President Tudjman be pronounced permanently disabled, for his presidential duties, authorities and honours to be taken away from him for ever, and that this is a supposition that the President will inevitably die. The doctors' consultation, and especially the Government, are asked to start from the supposition of death, not life, Seks said. Presidents of party benches of the Opposition Six coalition recalled that one of the issues in talks with the HDZ was the setting of the exact date of elections, which the HDZ refused. The date of elections is the only reason for a consensus not being reached during Tuesday's negotiations about the Constitutional Law. I suggested maximum effort to be exerted for a consensus to be reached surrounding the date of parliamentary elections, but that is should not be a condition for the adopting of a constitutional law, he said. There are differences between the HDZ and the Opposition Six in the issue of a deadline for temporary disability. The six parties requested that temporary disability should last 30 days at the most, and a fifth of HDZ MPs advocate that after 30 days the deadline be extended for another 30 days or that proceedings for permanent disability be initiated. However, in reply to arguments by representatives of party benches, Seks announced that the HDZ would motion an amendment envisaging the deadline for temporary disability of 60 days, which the Constitutional Court may repeat the period an unlimited number of times. Ante Djapic of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) said illness cannot be a reason for permanent disability, only temporary disability. "Any mention of Article 97 connected with illness will not be endorsed by us," he said. (hina) lml mm