Zagreb - The Committee on the Constitution, Standing Orders and Political System on Monday took into account some of the objections stated during a public debate on a bill of amendments to the Constitution and unanimously proposed to parliament to discuss a partially amended draft Constitution, with novelties referring mostly to the referendum issue.
The Committee was in session without deputies from the Croatian Democratic Union who have been boycotting Committee sessions. The draft Constitution kept the proposal that at least 200,000 signatures need to be collected to call a referendum and not 10% of all eligible voters, as is the case now. The number of issues that cannot be put of for a referendum has been increased. A referendum cannot be called on issues referring to Croatia's international obligations, the adoption and execution of the state budget and the tax system, defence and national security issues and elections and appointments falling under the remit of the national parliament. The same goes for limiting and reducing human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The Committee agreed that the constitutional law on the implementation of the Constitution should be adopted within three months following the amendments to the Constitution and not six month, as suggested before. The Committee also decided that a regulation on no statute of limitations for first degree murders would go into force on 1 January 2014.
The public debate was held between November 26 and December 6. In that period, the Committee received 25 objections from constitutional experts, various institutions and citizens. One of the proposals sent to the Committee during the public debate was that abortion be banned. (Hina)