LOWER HOUSE CONCLUDES DISCUSSION ON ELECTORAL LAW

ZAGREB, Nov 4 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament's House of Representatives concluded its Wednesday discussion on the electoral law with a severe divergence in opinion between the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the opposition with regard to the necessity of a special electoral list for the diaspora. Even though electoral changes proposed by six opposition parties are trying to introduce new aspects in the electoral system, the key issue turned out to be the electoral list for the diaspora. According to Luka Trconic of the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS), six opposition parties have tried to create a more lasting electoral system which will present Croatia as a modern, democratic state. The diaspora list, if humane at all, has been profaned in practice during the 1995 elections, said Trconic. With 12 representatives, the HDZ has succeeded in ensuring majority in parliament, he said, pointing out this was the crux of the matter. The right to a special diaspora list was supported by representatives from the diaspora. Emigrants work abroad, but live in Croatia, build houses, purchase flats, and pay taxes, said HDZ's Zdenka Babic Petricevic in response to remarks that emigrants do not pay Croatian taxes and could therefore not have the same status as Croats in Croatia. The abolishment of a special list for the diaspora should not automatically cancel diaspora representation, said Marin Jurjevic of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), adding diaspora representatives were MPs even before a diaspora electoral list existed. Babic took exception to Hrvoje Kraljevic of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), who called the diaspora an "artificial creation" of the electoral body. (hina) ha mm