HSS SUPPORTS UNION REQUEST FOR VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN PENIC

( Editorial: --> 5041 ) ZAGREB, Feb 27 (Hina) - Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS) representatives in the Croatian National Parliament support the initiative by organisers of the 20 February trade union protest on opening a discussion on a vote of no confidence in Interior Minister Ivan Penic. The protest organisers have requested that MPs take a vote of no confidence in Penic because of police blockades preventing access to the central Zagreb square, in which the unions wanted to hold their rally. HSS will try to urge other opposition party representatives to support this initiative and hopes this will soon be discussed in the Croatian National Parliament, said the head of the HSS bench, Luka Trconic, at a media conference on Friday. Trconic said that the HSS bench sent a written proposal to the Parliament Speaker Vlatko Pavletic on 25 February, requesting that the agenda of the current lower house session include the report by the Interior Minister on the events in Ban Jelacic Square on 20 February. "Obviously, the Parliament Speaker judged that this would not be desirable. Maybe he will include this issue in the agenda of the next session, but surely such a discussion must be held in the interest of further democratisation of Croatia," said Trconic. Trconic believes that the regulation by the city authorities (from 1992) to ban rallies in Ban Jelacic Square is unreasonable and absurd. Zagreb municipal leaders should face the consequences of the regulation and the 20 February events as well, Trconic added. (hina) jn mrb 271626 MET feb 98