LOWER HOUSE REJECTS INSERTING LUSTRATION BILL IN AGENDA

( Editorial: --> 0568 ) ZAGREB, March 18 (Hina) - Following a lengthy debate, the House of Representatives on Wednesday withdrew from the proposed agenda four items proposed by opposition MPs, thereby accepting an 18- item agenda for the 29th session. MPs accepted a proposal by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) bench to reject including in the agenda a bill by the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) on eliminating the consequences of the totalitarian Communist regime (lustration bill). Vladimir Seks of the HDZ said the bill was unacceptable from a constitutional-legal and national-political standpoint. Voters have to decide who will fill leading state posts, Seks said. Representatives also did not include in the agenda a declaration on denouncing the Communist regime, proposed by the HSP, because parliament had already expressed its stance in declarations denouncing the rigged political trial of Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac and the arrest and murder of Croatian politician Andrija Hebrang. MPs also rejected considering a bill on islands (proposed by the Social Democratic Party, SDP), because the government is preparing a comprehensive proposal. The lower house also rejected including in its agenda proposed changes to the Law on Value Added Tax (proposed by Croatian People's Party, HNS), because a similar proposal was rejected at the end of January and cannot be proposed again before three months pass. MP Veselin Pejnovic withdrew his bill on renting flats owned by the Republic of Croatia. Included in the agenda is a proposed confidence vote in Interior Minister Ivan Penic. The vote was sought by the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS), and was supported with signatures by deputies from the SDP, Istrian Democratic Assembly, Istrian Democratic Forum, Croatian Social-Liberal Party, Serb People's Party, HNS and Slavonia-Baranja Croatian Party. (Hina) jn mb /rm 181808 MET mar 98