NGOs and unions: No passaran to “castration of democracy”

Activists of a few nongovernmental organisations on Monday raised their voice against prohibiting civil society associations and foundations from financing referendum activities and promotion, as envisaged by a bill on financing political activities, election campaigns and referenda, which is to receive first reading in the national parliament. The activists warned that this bill would be…

Referendum question on motorways lease unconstitutional

The Constitutional Court has found that the proposed referendum question on the lease of motorways is not in line with the Constitution, ruling that a referendum may not be called. The court said on Tuesday it had made the decision following Parliament’s motion to establish whether the referendum question was in line with the Constitution.…

“We must monetise motorway operators’ debt one way or another”

Zagreb, 18.7.2013.- Dvjestotinjak zaposlenika Hrvatskih autocesta, èlanova Nezavisnog cestarskog sindikata, krenuli su nešto prije 10 sati s Trga bana Jelaèiæa prema Banskim dvorima, prosvjedujuæi protiv monetizacije autocesta. Na slici prosvjednici na Trgu bana Jelaèiæa. foto FaH/ Dario GRZELJ/ ua

Transport Minister Sinisa Hajdas Doncic on Thursday reiterated that the government would not abandon plans to monetise the debt of state motorway operators — the Croatian Motorways (HAC) and the Rijeka-Zagreb (ARZ) –, but the cabinet would only change a model how to do it. The minister said that the government had given up the…

Cuckoo’s eggs and buying parliamentary representatives – what lies in the legislative proposal?

Zagreb, 20.06.2013 - Sjednica Vlade Republike Hrvatske. Na slici Arsen Bauk. foto FaH/ ik

Prohibiting civil society organizations from financing referendum campaigns is almost tantamount to prohibiting parties from financing their own election campaigns, considering the fact that referenda are one of the main forms of citizens’ activism and direct decision-making. At the same, time, political parties are enabled to “buy” parliamentary representatives. Although GONG welcomes most provisions of…

Cuckoo’s eggs and buying parliamentary representatives – what lies in the legislative proposal?

Zagreb, 01.03.2013 - Prosjeèna mjeseèna isplaæena neto plaæa po zaposlenom u pravnim osobama u Hrvatskoj za prosinac 2012. godine iznosila je 5.487 kunu, što je nominalno 3,4 posto manje i realno 3,3 posto manje u odnosu na studeni, objavio je Državni zavod za statistiku (DZS). Ilustracija od 16.08.2012. godine prikazuje kovanice. foto FaH/ Dario GRZELJ /ds

Prohibiting civil society organizations from financing referendum campaigns is almost tantamount to prohibiting parties from financing their own election campaigns, considering the fact that referenda are one of the main forms of citizens’ activism and direct decision-making. At the same, time, political parties are enabled to “buy” parliamentary representatives. Although GONG welcomes most provisions of…

Govt asks Court to reject requests on referenda on outsourcing, motorway lease

Zagreb, 13.03.2013 - Predsjednik Vlade Zoran Milanoviæ, potpredsjednica Vlade i minsitrica vanjskih i europskih poslova Vesna Pusiæ, potpredsjednik Vlade i ministar regionalnoga razvoja i fondova Europske unije Branko Grèiæ, ministar unutarnjih poslova Ranko Ostojiæ i ministar obrane Ante Kotromanoviæ tijekom sjednice Vlade RH. foto FaH/ Tomislav PAVLEK /ds

The government has sent its opinion to the Constitutional Court with regard to a request to call a state referendum concerning the adoption of a law on the outsourcing of non-core public-sector services, a press release from the closed session of the government on Thursday says. Parliament had requested the Constitutional Court to define whether…