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Zagreb - The Sabor adopted the Gender Equality Ombudsman's 2022 Report on Friday with 109 MPs voting in favour, 19 voting against it including MPs from the Homeland Movement (DP), a junior partner in the ruling coalition, and Bridge, while two MPs abstained.
DP previously explained that its MPs would not vote in favour of the Report because they believe it contains elements of gender ideology while Bridge MPs were troubled by the Ombudsman's position on the status of transgender persons in sports.
MPs rejected the conclusion submitted by the Bridge caucus according to which the government would be required to submit a report to the Sabor on the effects of implementing the Istanbul Convention since its ratification in 2018 until the end of 2023.
A conclusion by the SDP caucus was also rejected, according to which the government would commit itself to propose a law to the Sabor within 90 days that would regulate termination of pregnancy procedures, according to which abortion in Croatia would be legal, free of charge and more easily accessible.
The Sabor also supported a report on the effects of the implementation of the Act on the Reconstruction of Buildings Damaged by the 2020 earthquakes in the City of Zagreb, Krapina-Zagorje County, Zagreb County, Sisak-Moslavina County and Karlovac County for 2023.
However, Urša Raukar Gamulin (We Can!) expressed her dissatisfaction with the report, warning that reconstruction was sluggish from 2020 to the beginning of 2023, recalling an earlier statement by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković that the reconstruction is going at an incredibly slow pace.
She assessed HDZ's tactic of not accepting constructive and necessary opposition proposals as wrong because people spent three years in containers in impossible conditions, which is unacceptable. She also stated that since Branko Bačić was appointed Minister of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets and the new law was adopted in 2023, reconstruction finally started to move and the container settlements have been closed.
However, reconstruction is still going too slowly, she warned.
In contrast to her, HDZ's Magdalena Komes believes that everything that can be done under the law has been undertaken. Igor Peternel (DP) believes it is extremely hypocritical that We Can MPs are raising this issue. "The situation in the City of Zagreb, which is in your remit, is such that it would be polite, at the very least, not to speak about this topic," he said.
Sabor adopted a report by the Ombudsman for Persons with Disabilities for 2021.
A proposal by the parliamentary Credentials and Privileges Commission (MIP) was adopted according to which SDP's Kristina Ikić-Baniček should not be stripped of her immunity for the continuation of criminal proceedings against her before the County Court in Šibenik and the Municipal Court in Zagreb over defamation charges.
The Sabor also adopted decisions by MIP to suspend Marko Kričko's (SDP) seat in the Sabor and for his deputy Ivana Ribarić Majanović to be appointed as well as suspending Ivan Matić's (Bridge) seat and for his deputy Ivica Ledenko to be appointed. At the end of the voting, Ribarić Majanović and Ledenko took the oath of office.
Sabor will resume sitting on Tuesday.