CROATIAN PARLIAMENT RATIFIES HUMAN RIGHTS CONVENTION

ZAGREB, Oct 17 (Hina) - The Croatian Parliament's House of Representatives on Friday ratified the Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and the accompanying protocols, and adopted a government report on the human rights situation in 1996. Deputy Prime Minister Ljerka Mintas-Hodak said that the ratification of the Convention was an obligation of Croatia as a member of the Council of Europe, and added that Croatia also accepted the competence of the European Commission and the European Court for Human Rights. The Government accepted an amendment by the Committee for the Constitution, Rules of Procedure and the Political System to the law ratifying the Convention proposing omission of a provision requiring non-application of Article 14, Paragraph 2 of the Law on the Status of Displaced Persons and Refugees, under which the owner cannot regain possession of his property if it is occupied by displaced persons. The Government also accepted a proposal by that Committee that the Law on the Status of Displaced Persons and Refugees be amended as soon as possible. The House also ratified the European Charter on Regional or Minority Language with 85 votes in favour, three against and one abstention, and unanimously adopted the Law on Health Care for Aliens. Deputies endorsed a bill on the official use of the languages and scripts of ethnic communities or minorities, and a bill on family relations. The session, which began on September 17, was concluded in the afternoon. (hina) vm jn 171839 MET oct 97