Three deputy speakers from parliamentary majority appointed

Zagreb - The 11^th Croatian parliament on Thursday appointed three out of five deputy speakers, those being Željko Reiner of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), Ivan Penava of the Homeland Movement (DP), a junior partner in the parliamentary majority, and Furio Radin, the representative of the Italian minority.

Reiner was supported by 143 deputies in the new 151-seat Sabor. Only Dražen Dizdar of the Law and Justice party voted against his appointment.

Penava was backed by 123 MPs, with the three deputies of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) voting against and Penava himself abstaining from the vote.

Long-standing MP Furio Radin received the support of all 144 MPs who took part in the vote.

The two remaining positions of Deputy Speaker, to be filled by the parliamentary opposition, remain vacant because the opposition has not submitted its proposals.

The new Parliament also held founding sessions of its committees.