LOWER HOUSE ENDORSES OMBUDSMAN REPORT

( Editorial: --> 8597 ) ZAGREB, June 3 (Hina) - The Croatian National Parliament's House of Representatives Wednesday endorsed a report on the work of the ombudsman in 1997. The representatives assessed the ombudsman's office had become a fully viable institution, and that it should be further strengthened in order to fulfil its constitutional and legal obligations. The report was assessed as very good, thorough, containing concrete examples. It was pointed out in the debate however that the government and parliament should be quicker in reacting to the ombudsman's initiatives. Submitting the report to the Lower House, ombudsman Ante Klaric concentrated on the government's stand on the report. Despite having supported the ombudsman's work and report, the government had, through some procedures, brought his independence into question, said Klaric. He announced he would submit reports on citizen complaints on the slowness of courts to the Lower House's Justice Committee, and that in the future he would also deal with problems of workers who had not been received their salary in months. The ombudsman pointed out the arbitrariness of local authorities and assessed that state bureaucracy should be reduced to a measure which would work to the benefit of citizens. He also pointed out the high level of cooperation established with international organisations in the protection of human rights. Klaric also thanked the government, the ministries of the interior and labour and social welfare, and the Premier on their cooperation. He concluded his address by saying it should not be allowed that Bosnian Croats and those living in the Sava River area move to other countries. The ombudsman also thanked the Lower House for the given support. Klaric was especially grateful to the United Nations and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for their assistance in presenting the report on his work to the international public and making it prove that Croatia was capable of resolving its problems within its own institutions. Today the Lower House also concluded debates on a final bill ratifying an agreement on friendship and cooperation between Croatia and Romania, and a final bill ratifying the 1989 International Convention on Rescuing. Ratified by some 20 most important maritime countries, the convention regulates rescuing on navigable waterways. (hina) ha/bag jn 031717 MET jun 98