CROATIAN MP'S COMMENT ON DECISION OF OPPOSITION BLOC

ZAGREB, Nov 12 (Hina) - The Croatian National Sabor President Vlatko Pavletic on Thursday said he was saddened and surprised at the decision of MPs from a bloc of six opposition parties to resign to all of their functions except those as Members of Parliament. "The fact that they have kept their seats as MPs does not relieve them of their duties in parliamentary committees", Pavletic told reporters. He added that the committees could work without the MPs from the opposition bloc if other opposition MPs kept their posts on them. Pavletic said he could not judge whether the resignations of the opposition bloc announced the beginning of a parliamentary crisis. He recalled periods when opposition representatives failed to show up at parliament for months. "There will be no parliamentary crisis, it's their wishful thinking", said Sabor's vice president Vladimir Seks (Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ). Seks said he doubted that representatives of other opposition parties as well as independent and minority MPs would refuse to take the seats of their colleagues from the opposition bloc. "If that really happens, seats on the committees will be filled with HDZ MPs", Seks said. Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) and Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU) representatives said there was no agreement between them and the HDZ on filling those seats, while Serb minority MPs expressed reservations towards the possibility. However, the HSP believes that this might be a chance for starting serious negotiations with the HDZ on sharing executive authority. Croatia's Ambassador at the European Union Janko Dobrinovic- Vranitzany said the newly-arisen situation was Croatia's internal issue, which would be commented on by the EU but would not affect Croatia's relations with the EU. (hina) jn rml