CROATIAN GOVERNMENT ADOPTS NEW BILL ON PUBLIC GATHERING

( Editorial: --> 5800 ) ZAGREB, April 9 (Hina) - At Thursday's session the Croatian government adopted the final Bill on Family and a new Bill on Public Gathering and Public Rallies. The government also adopted a Decision on initiating a procedure for the signing of a loan agreement for the project of reconstruction of eastern Slavonia and Baranja between Croatia and the International Reconstruction and Development Bank. The Bill on Public Gathering and Public Rallies is to define a more elaborated and precise model of implementation of the constitutional right of public gathering and public rallies and is to more clearly define the responsibility of the organiser of a public event. Prime Minister Zlatko Matesa and Interior Minister Ivan Penic described the bill as compliant with European standards and as a law that would meet the constitutional right to public gathering and the protection of the public and property half-way. Police has primarily a preventive role according to the Bill on public Gathering. Maintaining peace and order at gatherings will be the task of the organiser. The possibility of filing an appeal to the Interior Ministry's prohibition of a public gathering is considered as very important. The government forwarded into the second reading the final Bill on Family which regulates marriage and legal status in a marriage, relations between children and parents, adoption and guardianship. The government decided to initiate a procedure for signing an agreement with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) on a US$38.4 million intended for the reconstruction of eastern Slavonia and Baranja. This money would be used to finance flood prevention, the construction of a drainage system, waterworks, mile removal and ecological protection of the Kopacki Rit national park famous for its rare marsh flora and fauna. Some US$18 million should be set aside from the government budget for the realisation of the project. The government did not adopt amendments to the Law on Value Added Tax suggested by Radimir Cacic and Srecko Bijelic of the Croatian People's Party (HNS). They suggested that the VAT be reduced from 22 to 18 per cent. (hina) lm jn 091508 MET apr 98