DECISION ON PRESIDENT'S SALARY INVALID - LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE

( Editorial: --> 2241 ) ZAGREB, Sept 22 (Hina) - A decision on the President of the Republic's salary, which the parliament's Lower House passed at a special session last July, is legally non-existent, the Lower House Legislative Committee established on Tuesday. The Committee forwarded its interpretation of and legal arguments on the invalidity of the Lower House decision to the Lower House for debate at its first autumn session beginning on Wednesday. The decision on the President of the Republic's salary was reached on July 10, at the same time a law on the rights and obligations of state officials was passed. The Croatian President proposed in July that the decision's coming into effect be postponed. At the time, the government pointed out that the decision on the President's salary could not be made before the law on the rights and obligations of state officials had come into effect. The parliament president pointed out that due to official absence he had not signed either the law or the decision. The Legislative Committee concluded on Tuesday by a majority vote that the decision on the President of the Republic's salary was legally non-existent. The Committee said the decision had not been signed by the president of the parliament, and that its introduction cites the law on the rights and obligations of state officials, which at the time the decision was passed had neither been issued nor come into effect. According to the decision, the monthly salary of the President of the Republic had been established at a net 50,000 kunas, about US$8,000. The law on the rights and obligations of state officials however stipulates that the salaries of state officials are to be established on par with the President's salary. (hina) ha jn/sp 221655 MET sep 98