UPPER HOUSE BACKS DRAFT AMENDMENTS TO LAW ON ELECTION OF MPS

ZAGREB, 11 Dec (Hina) - The House of Counties on Wednesday supported with a majority vote a bill on changes to the Act on the Election of Representatives to the Croatian Parliament (in urgent procedure) and sent the bill to the House of Representatives for final decision. The upper house also supported and sent to the House of Representatives the final bill on the protection of data secrecy. #L# According to the bill on changes to the Act on the Election of Representatives to Parliament, a parliament member would have the right to freeze his mandate once during his service as a parliament member. That period would last six months at the least, said Antun Palaric, aide to Administration Minister. Another proposed change relates to those representatives who are elected from special lists, that is, representatives who do not have permanent residence in Croatia. The proposal establishes which of the duties they perform in the country where they have permanent residence are incompatible with the official duties they have as Croatian parliament members. According to the proposed changes, the percentage for the distribution of parliamentary mandates would be calculated from the number of valid ballots. Palaric also presented the bill on the protection of data secrecy. The bill defines the term of state, army, official, business and professional secrets. It also envisages the establishment of a council for control of secrecy, which would establish, at the request of media representatives, whether certain data had been classified as secrets. The council would have seven members who would be appointed by the House of Representatives. Three members of the council would be from the media, Palaric said. (hina) rm jn 111725 MET dec 96