CROATIA'S UPPER HOUSE BACKS BILL ON WAR VETERANS' RIGHTS

ZAGREB, Dec 10 (Hina) - The Croatian Parliament's House of Counties on Tuesday backed a bill regulating the rights of war veterans and their families. Before the discussion, deputies added two more items to the agenda - a demand by the suspended Supreme Court president Krunoslav Olujic that the president and two members of the State Judicial Council (DSV) be excluded from disciplinary proceedings instituted by the DSV against Olujic, and a demand for revoking the parliamentary immunity of Josip Manolic. Speaking of the war veterans' rights bill, Pero Kovacevic of the Defence Ministry said that it was necessary to ensure more than two billion kuna ($363 million) from the 1997 budget to satisfy the permanent rights of war veterans and their families. If we take into account their housing problems, then the sum would reach four billion kuna ($727 million), he added. The bill was also supported by Tomislav Mercep of the Association of Croatian War Volunteers. (hina) vm mm 101338 MET dec 96