ZAGREB, Dec 12 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament on Thursday afternoon commenced a long awaited discussion on a final constitutional bill on national minorities.
ZAGREB, Dec 12 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament on Thursday
afternoon commenced a long awaited discussion on a final
constitutional bill on national minorities. #L#
The president of the national minority bench, Borislav Graljuk,
informed MPs that during the day parliamentary benches had come to
an agreement over the bill's contentious points.
Graljuk did not elaborate although sources disclosed it was agreed
that minorities elect their MPs by themselves and not through party
listings.
Minorities would be guaranteed at least five and no more than eight
MPs. Minorities that form more than 1.5 percent of the population
(only the Serb community) would have one to three MPs while smaller
minorities would have at least four MPs. The method of their
election would be regulated by the Electoral Law.
The constitutional law should represent a contract of trust between
the majority and the minority, Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic
pointed out, calling on MPs to adopt the proposed bill.
The government, he said, is pleased that by resolving the most
contentious issues in the bill, conditions have been provided to
adopt the law as a quality step towards the future in developing
Croatia as a democratic, multicultural and multiethnic country.
The new constitutional law, as proposed by the government,
guarantees minorities a series of rights, amongst other things,
that they can freely use and be educated in the mother tongue and
script, sustain contacts with their country of origin, have the
right to be represented in bodies of local government units.
The constitutional law regulates the founding of minority self-
governments in towns and municipalities as well as counties. It
also foresees the founding of a council for national minorities.
Parliament is expected to vote on the bill on Friday.
The bill needs a two-third majority (101 votes) to pass.
(hina) sp/ha sb