HRT COUNCIL DECIDES ON COVERAGE OF PARLIAMENTARY SESSIONS

ZAGREB, Oct 29 (Hina) - The Croatian Radio and Television (HRT) Council passed a unanimous decision on Tuesday to broadcast live parliamentary sessions when issues of particular national interest were discussed and in 18 other cases. Which issues were of special national interest would be determined by the Parliament presidency and presidents of the parliamentary committees and the clubs of deputies. In all other cases the HRT would broadcast summaries of sessions which would reflect views of parliamentary parties or deputies' clubs which participated in discussions, in proportion to their representation in Parliament. Apart from issues of particular national interest, the HRT would broadcast live constituent sessions of Parliament, the passage of a decision on dissolving a house of parliament, reports and addresses by the President of the Republic, addresses by foreign heads of state or government, the presentation of government programmes, question time, a decision on amending the Constitution, the passage of legislation regulating human and civil rights and freedoms as stipulated by the Constitution. Discussions on electoral legislation, the organization and work of state bodies, legislation on the organization of local administration and self-government, a state budget, decisions on voting confidence or no confidence in the prime minister and members of the government would also be broadcast live. Live broadcasts would also include discussions on laws which the upper house returns to the lower house for reconsideration, the adoption and amendment of the Constitution, the ratification of some international agreements, the passage of a constitutional law on the Constitutional Court, and the passage of legislation regulating minority rights. The issue was discussed at the request of four opposition members of the Council who later voiced their satisfaction with the decision to broadcast parliamentary sessions live. Opposition members of Parliament had walked out of the October session of the House of Representatives because the HRT had not broadcast live a discussion on a report by the State Auditing Agency. (hina) vm jn 291726 MET oct 96