LOWER HOUSE DISCUSSES OPPOSITION ELECTION BILL

ZAGREB, Nov 4 (Hina) - Croatian Social-Liberal Party (HSLS) representative Hrvoje Kraljevic on Wednesday presented a bill on the election of representatives to the Croatian National Sabor. Kraljevic presented the bill, which was drawn up by six opposition parties, at today's session of the lower house. The bill was drawn up by the HSLS, Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS), Croatian People's Party (HNS) and Liberal Party (LS). The most important regulations of the bill refer to increasing the majority system in relation to proportional representation, abolishing the special diaspora list and introducing multi-party election commissions and committees. The Government, the Committee for the Constitution, Book of Rules and Political System and the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) bench have voiced a negative opinion about the bill. Presenting the bill, HSLS's Kraljevic said that among other things, the bill was aimed at improving the election procedure and making elections more democratic. Kraljevic is convinced that the new election law would prompt more active participation of the electorate and return faith in the importance of elections as the fundamental means of free expression of political will. The bill is in accordance with international standards and its adoption would mean "the fulfilment of international commitments the President of the Republic and the President of the Sabor" took over at the time of Croatia's admission to the Council of Europe, Kraljevic believes. In the bill, the six opposition paties insist on a mixed election system, but with a changed majority system-proportional representation ratio, to the advantage of the majority system. This would mean that 80 representatives would be elected to the Sabor by proportional representation and 40 by the majority system. Currently, out of a total of 128 MPs, 92 are elected by proportional representation (including 12 MPs from the special diapsora list) and 28 by the majority system. As regards minorities, the opposition proposes at least five seats (currently, the minorties hold eight seats). It also suggests the annulment of the special diaspora list. All Croatian citizens are equal before the Constitution and those who live outside of Croatia must have the right to vote as all those who live in Croatia on the basis of lawfully determined residence, Kraljevic said. The opposition proposes only the majority system for the elections to the House of Counties, meaning that each county would elect three representatives. The bill also envisages a single election threshold of five per cent. According to the document, all questions regarding the election procedure, which are currently regulated by obligatory instructions of the State Election Commission, would be summarised in one section of the bill, Kraljevic said. An important regulation is also the inroduction of multi-party commissions and committees, Kraljevic added. MP Smiljko Sokol informed the lower house on behalf of the Committee for the Constitution, Book of Rules and Political System, that the Commitee had rejected the opposition bill with a majority vote. Presenting individual remarks by the Committee members, Sokol said that Vladimir Seks (HDZ) had dismissed the opposition claim that the bill was in line with the commitment Croatia had taken over upon its admission to the Council of Europe, regarding changes to the legislation regulating the election of Croatian citizens living outside of Croatia. Croatia is not obliged to change its election legislation, but to consider the Council of Europe recommendations until the next elections, Seks said. There is a trend in developed democracies of recognising the right to vote also to those citizens who have residence outside of their native country, which is in line with the viewpoint of the Council of Europe Committee for Migration, Refugees and Demography, Sokol cited Seks as saying. According to Sokol, a Committee member Ivica Racan (SDP) said that the bill did not question the right to vote of Croatian citizens living outside of Croatia but that it only prevented the election of 12 MPs from the special list. Racan's view was supported by Committee members Drazen Budisa (HSLS) and Srecko Bijelic (HNS). Another Committee member, Ivan Gabelica (Croatian Pure Party of Rights, HCSP) did not agree with the bill saying it was anti- consitutional. Gabelica presented a series of objections as regards the regulation making the right to vote conditional upon residence in Croatia, as well as to the election of minority representatives and election monitoring by international observers, Sokol reported. (hina) jn rml/sp