COUNCIL OF EUROPE DELEGATION VISITS CROATIAN PARLIAMENT

ZAGREB, Oct 15 (Hina) - A delegation of the congress of local and regional authorities of the Council of Europe and representatives of the Croatian parliament led by deputy speaker Vladimir Seks met in Zagreb on Wednesday to discuss the development of local democracy and the functioning of local self-government. I think that local democracy and local self-government are closely connected, the head of the Council of Europe delegation, Helene Lund, told reporters after the talks. She expressed satisfaction with the fact that Croatia had recently ratified the European Charter on Local Self-Government, describing it as a very important step. Seks said that Croatia and the Council of Europe would continue exchanging opinions in order to "ensure full implementation of the European Charter on Local Self-Government." He said they had also considered "sensitive issues" of local self-government in Croatia. "We agreed that the sensitive issues are the precise division of government and self-government functions, the double role of county prefects and their confirmation according to the present Croatian model," Seks added. The Croatian official said their talks had revolved round a crisis in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (Rijeka area) caused by the dissolution of the county assembly. "We explained that a stalemate occurred after 20 councillors resigned as a result of a political crisis related to the election of the county prefect," Seks said, adding that an election for a new county assembly would be called by 4 December this year, within the legal time limit. Seks said that Croatian and Council of Europe representatives had also discussed "how to prevent the recurrence of a similar political crisis by changing the law." (hina) jn mš 152122 MET oct 97