HDZ BENCH PRESIDENT SPEAKS ABOUT UPCOMING LOWER HOUSE SESSION

( Editorial: --> 2054 ) ZAGREB, Sept 21 (Hina) - The parliamentary bench of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) on Monday held a closed session discussing the agenda of the forthcoming 33rd session of the Croatian parliament's House of Representatives. The HDZ bench also discussed two bills on changes to the electoral law proposed by the opposition, bench president Vladimir Seks told reporters. If the opposition withdraws its two bills from parliamentary procedure, a new month-long deadline will commence for the president of the parliament to decide whether to include the new bill on the agenda. Whether the changes to the electoral law, one bill proposed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) and another by the Croatian Peasant Party and the so called Porec Group, will stay on the agenda of the Lower House's 33rd session depends also on sessions of the Committee for the Constitution, Rule Book and Political System and of the Committee for Legislature. According to Seks, there are indications that the SDP/HSLS bill is in collision with the Constitution due to denied rights in the part referring to the representation of Croatian citizens living outside the country. The SDP and the HSLS have suggested that these representatives be appointed to the parliament's House of Counties by the President of the Republic. Speaking about the law on rights and obligations of state officials, Seks said the 33rd Lower House session would stretch over a few weeks. It is possible that changes to this law be on the agenda in October, he added. The HDZ also discussed preparations for the third parliamentary reading of a bill on the official use of language and alphabet of national communities or minorities. Seks emphasised this bill was not only in line with the Constitution, but also with the Constitutional law on the rights of minorities and all documents signed by Croatia and Italy which have been ratified to date. Seks said the Istrian Democratic Party's advocacy of official use of a minority language on county level was a political provocation. The official use of a minority language is, in line with the Croatian Constitution and law, possible on municipal and city levels, he explained. Seks said a bill on Croatian Radio-Television would probably be tackled on the upcoming Lower House session. (hina) ha 212222 MET sep 98