Despite the legacy of the previous governments led by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the problems caused by the economic crisis, the Croatian People's Party (HNS) is pleased with the performance of the present government and parliament and its own parliamentary group in the first six months of their term in office, HNS officials told a press conference in Zagreb on Tuesday.
The chairman of the HNS group in parliament, Jozo Rados, said that the government and parliament had created all the necessary legal prerequisites for the implementation of the program and policies of the ruling coalition. He said that it was logical, given the present circumstances, that laws had so far been mainly passed under fast-track procedure, adding that he hoped that such practice would be abandoned as of autumn and that bills would be passed under standard procedure that included two readings in parliament.
He announced that a law regulating relations between the parliament and the government would be passed in autumn, adding that it would also regulate their cooperation in European affairs. He also announced amendments to the law on common-law partnerships, which should allow women living in a same-sex partnership to undergo medically assisted reproduction procedures.
HNS vice-president Milorad Batinic said he was also pleased with the performance of the 7th parliament.
When asked if the HNS supported unofficial plans by its senior coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), that new amendments to the parliamentary Standing Orders should provide for penalties against MPs who do not attend sessions, Batinic said that the HNS thought that such measures were unnecessary.
The HNS officials were also asked if through their work in parliament they could change the negative public perception of their party, to which Rados said that the public criticisms that problems in the country should be dealt with more quickly were legitimate. He added that in the present unfavourable circumstances caused by a bad legacy and the global and internal crisis, more serious steps than those already taken could hardly have been expected.
"The HNS has launched key processes to pull the country out of the crisis and we have no major objections to that," Rados said, adding that with its good work and its presence in the public the HNS could contribute to the quality of the performance of the parliament and the government.
