Participating in a parliamentary debate on the matter on Wednesday, the leader of the strongest opposition party thus responded to some speculations that the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) might devise ways to circumvent the agreement with the opposition by organising Consular Days in Bosnia-Herzegovina during Croatia's elections enabling Croats in the neighbouring country to have more polling stations.
Milanovic said that during the negotiations on the Constitution's changes, his SDP and other opposition parties -- HNS, IDS and HSU -- had insisted on the restriction of voting to embassies and consulate facilities in order to bring more order in the process and that the agreement had been reached to this effect.
Milanovic also voiced his disapproval of possible changes to current election regulations.
"The agreement has been premised on the 150-seat parliament and we believe that this will remain so," Milanovic said, asking Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor to say whether the ruling coalition intended to change election legislation.
He recalled that the constitutional principle was that election regulations should not be changed within one year before elections.
The spokeswoman for PM Kosor said in the meantime that the premier would talk with Milanovic on the announced changes in election rules.
The SDP, as well as the club of deputies from the Croatian People's Party (HNS) and the Croatian Pensioners' Party (HSU), said they were against the possibility that a Constitutional Court judge whose term has expired should stay in their post indefinitely, until the appointment of their successor.
Following those remarks from the Opposition, Sabor Deputy Speaker Vladimir Seks (HDZ), who is the chairman of the Committee on the Constitution, said later in the day that the HDZ had sent to parliament a draft amendment stipulating a restriction of the extension of the term in office of outgoing Constitutional Court judges.
The latest proposal stipulates that Constitutional Court judges whose term in office has expired can stay for six months at the longest if their successors have not been elected earlier.
Earlier in the day, Milorad Pupovac of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) proposed that the Constitution's provision banning any Balkan associations for Croatia should be eliminated as there was no more danger of such associations.
"Is our past really such that associations in the Balkans have been the worst thing that has befallen us and that should be banned," Pupovac said in the debate, wondering why the Constitution did not ban the glorification of the WWII Ustasha regime.
Responding to his statement, Danijel Srb of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) said that proposing the removal of the ban on Balkan association was exactly the reason for keeping the ban in the Constitution.
Dragutin Lesar of the Croatian Labour Party (HL) urged changing stipulations for organising a referendum.
Lesar proposed that referendums should be organised provided that two percent instead of the current 10 percent of voters ask for them.