Consultations on new election law to resume this week

Zagreb, 09.04.2014 - Sjednica Odbora za Ustav, Poslovnik i politièki sustva Hrvatskog sabora. Na slici predsjednik Odbora Peða Grbin. foto FaH/ Denis CERIÆ /ds

The parliamentary groups of the ruling coalition will this week resume talks on a new law on the election of members of parliament and attempt to formulate a joint proposal which they would propose to other parliamentary groups, the chairman of the parliamentary committee on the Constitution, Pedja Grbin (SDP), said on Monday.

Although it was announced that the new law would be passed by the end of the year, now it is certain that will not happen. The ruling parties have said the consultations stalled because the parliamentary groups were concentrated on the adoption of the 2015 state budget.

The ruling coalition’s Social Democratic Party (SDP) has moved the introduction of one preferential vote, a 10 percent electoral threshold, and the dismissal of slates with less then 40% of women candidates.

Speaking to Hina, Grbin said the coalition would attempt to formulate a joint proposal this week, “which we would then propose to other interested parliamentary groups. If we don’t get wider support, we will put the coalition’s bill into parliamentary procedure by year’s end.”

The ruling coalition’s Istrian Democratic Party and Italian minority MP Furio Radin also propose one preferential vote, a 10% electoral threshold, and the correction of constituencies in compliance with a constitutional provision under which the difference in the number of voters does not exceed 5%.

They also propose that minorities be given an additional vote, since the Constitution envisages it, but according to unofficial reports, the SDP is against it and it seems that not all minority MPs will insist on this.