The outgoing Parliament Speaker Luka Bebic of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and Boris Sprem of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the likeliest candidate for the new Sabor Speaker, on Wednesday held talks in the parliament about the transfer of power and preparations for the seventh parliament's inaugural session, scheduled for Thursday.
After the talks in the Sabor Speaker's office, Sprem told reporters that the working meeting had revolved around the preparations for tomorrow's founding session of the new parliament.
Asked what would go on after the inaugural session, Sprem said that everything would be regular procedure in line with the Constitution and the rule book of the Sabor.
Bebic told reporters that the new Sabor would be set up with the election of the new parliament speaker. After that the election of the five deputy parliament speakers can ensue but it is not necessary to elect all of them at the inaugural session.
The outgoing parliament speaker said that the establishment of several parliamentary committees, necessary for the functioning of the parliament was on the agenda of the inaugural session, too.
The first session of the new parliament is expected to ensue on Thursday afternoon when MPs are to amend the legislation on the Government and some other regulations.
This is necessary so as to appoint the new government and ministers and ministries that have not been envisaged by the existing law on the government, Bebic said.
"The new Law on the Government takes effect on the same day when it is adopted so that on Friday the parliament can give a vote of confidence to the new government," Bebic said adding that this was regular procedure and that everything was feasible.
Asked whether he was glad to transfer his power to Sprem, Bebic said that he had known Sprem for years and that they had cooperated very well.
The governing majority will have 80 seats in the seventh 151-seat parliament, and eight deputies of ethnic minorities have also offered their backing to the Kukuriku coalition led by the SDP. Apart from the SDP, the other three parties in the ruling coalition are the Croatian People's Party (HNS), the Istrian Democratic Party (IDS) and the Croatian Pensioners' Party (HSU).
The Opposition will consist of the HDZ, which together with its partners -- the Democratic Centre (DC) and the Croatian Civic Party (HGS) -- will have 47 seats.
The Croatian Labour Party and the regional Croatian Democratic Party of Slavonia and Baranja each will have six seats. The slate led by independent candidate Ivan Grubisic won two seats and the Croatian Party of Rights Dr. Ante Starcevic will have one deputy, according to the results of the 4 December parliamentary polls.
