The Croatian Association of Trade Unions (HUS) called on the Croatian Parliament on Wednesday to declare as soon as possible its position on plans regarding conditions under which civil initiatives may call referenda. The organisation also urged the President of the Republic to state his opinion on the matter as the guardian of the stability of state authority under the Constitution.
"By its failure to call a referendum to relax conditions for referenda proposed by civil initiatives at the same time as the referendum on Croatia's admission to the EU, the Sabor showed its fickleness and inconsistency both in implementing its earlier decisions and in advocating its views," the HUS said in a statement.
The HUS recalled that on 10 June 2010 the Committee on the Constitution, Standing Orders and Political System refused an amendment by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to the motion to amend the Constitution, which proposed that the Constitution stipulate the obligation to call a referendum if so requested by five per cent of the electorate.
The present coalition government led by the SDP rejects the possibility of relaxing the procedure for calling referenda proposed by civil initiatives, not wanting to assume the obligation of the previous government which undertook in an agreement with the trade unions to call a referendum on referenda at the same time as a referendum on EU membership, the HUS said.
