LOWER HOUSE DISCUSSES PROPOSED CHANGES TO CONSTITUTION ( Editorial: --> 2293 )

( Editorial: --> 2293 ) ZAGREB, Nov 20 (Hina) - The Croatian Parliament House of Representatives on Thursday discussed a proposed change to the Croatian Constitution and a draft constitutional law on changes and amendments to the Constitution, proposed by President Franjo Tudjman. There are three groups of proposed changes to the Constitution. They include the cancellation of regulations which had to be introduced into the Constitution in 1990, as Croatia was then still part of the former Yugoslavia. The proposed changes also specify some constitutional and legal terms which, in their current form, could be interpreted differently. An important novelty is a proposed amendment to Article 135, proposing a ban on Croatia entering associations with other states which would or may lead to the restoration of a Yugoslav state community or any form of Balkan state association. The proposed changes to the Constitution aroused a lengthy and, at times, very heated debate. Parliamentary committees suggested that the Lower House make a decision on starting changes to the Constitution in line with the President's proposal. The proposed changes received unanimous support from the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) bench. However the national minorities bench believes there is no need to erase parts of the Constitution's Historical Foundations mentioning national minorities. The Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) bench proposed that only the definition of Croatia as a national state of the Croatian people be retained in the Historical Foundations, and that the part of the definition saying it is also a state of national minorities be erased. A similar solution was accepted by many states, including France and Germany, HSP representatives said. If these changes to the Constitution are to be considered, other questions should be opened as well, such as the strengthening of parliamentary democracy, local government and self-government, freedom of media etc, said representatives of the Social- Democratic Party (SDP). The Istrian Democratic Party (IDS) has reservations towards the proposed changes and holds them to be insubstantial. The IDS also adopted a critical stand toward the proposal on renaming "the Sabor (Parliament) of the Republic of Croatia" into "the Croatian State Sabor". The proposed changes are either incomplete or inconsistent, the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS) bench said. The constitutional ban on Croatia entering associations with other states from Article 135 was politically correct, but it lacked constitutional and legal foundation, as the current constitutional procedure on possible association with other states was so rigorous that anyone who might even think about it would have no chance whatsoever. The spirit of the constitutional changes is conservative and its roots and reasons lie in the past, said the Croatian Social-Liberal Party (HSLS) bench, adding this was the reason it opposed the change of the name "Sabor" into "the Croatian State Sabor". The HSLS bench described the ban on state associations from Article 135 as unnecessary. In the later course of the debate, most reaction was caused by an address by Serb People's Party (SNS) representative Milan Djukic. He said the proposed changes were based on the results of ethnic cleansing, and they threatened the survival of Serbs in Croatia. He added that he saw 'hatred and envy' in the proposed ban on state associations. The first reaction to Djukic's claim came from Parliament Deputy Speaker Jadranka Kosor, who said that with his statements Djukic threatened the establishment of trust in Croatia, which was progressing well. Reactions also came from representatives of the Croatian Pure Party of Rights (HCSP), SDP and HSLS. Vlado Gotovac of the HSLS said it was good that such a discussion could take place in parliament, but added the HSLS did not think it would endanger anything. (hina) jn rm 201933 MET nov 97