CONST. COURT DECIDES ON TUDJMAN'S TEMPORARY DISABILITY - EXTENDED

ZAGREB, Nov 26 (Hina) - The Croatian Constitutional Court on Friday passed a decision which establishes the temporary disability of the President of the Republic to perform his Constitutional duties. For the duration of the temporary disability, Croatian President Franjo Tudjman will be replaced by Croatian National Parliament president Vlatko Pavletic. The decision comes into force on the day of its passing. The Constitutional Court passed the decision following a motion put forward by the Croatian government. Premier Zlatko Matesa handed Pavletic the document making him acting President of the Republic shortly after 1 p.m. An explanation Constitutional Court president Jadranko Crnic presented to the press states the decision was passed after the government on Thursday afternoon forwarded to the Court a motion for the passing of the temporary disability decision, based on an opinion President Tudjman's team of doctors gave on his condition dated November 25. Speaking to the press, Crnic said the doctors' team said in its statement President Tudjman's overall condition indicated he was at present temporarily unable to perform his duty. "In passing the decision, not one of the Constitutional Court's 11 judges doubted for even one moment that at our disposal we had facts which were necessary to make the passing of the decision possible," he said. Crnic pointed out the president of parliament, by temporarily replacing the President of the Republic, does not become the President of the Republic or the vice president, but only performs the Constitutional duty which he undertook when swearing in as the president of parliament. Crnic said that at present, the president of parliament has all the powers of the President of the Republic, without limitations. (hina) ha lml