After being provided with the official results of the 4 December parliamentary elections, President Ivo Josipovic recently gave the mandate to the SDP leader Zoran Milanovic to form a new government and he also convened the inaugural session of the parliament for 1000 hrs on 22 December.

The governing majority will have 80 seats in the parliament, and eight deputies of ethnic minorities have also offered their backing to the Kukuriku coalition.

The Opposition will consist of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) that 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.

Boris Sprem of the SDP is expected to be the new Parliament Speaker replacing Luka Bebic of the HDZ who was at the helm of the sixth parliament and who will chair the inaugural session until the election of his successor.

The agenda of the inaugural session also includes the establishment of the parliamentary Credentials and Privileges Commission (MIP) that is due to submit a report to the new parliament about the parliamentary elections and about the elected MPs as well as about those who have to freeze their parliamentary mandate due to their other functions and duties or for some other reasons, and about those who replace them in parliamentary seats.

Upon the acceptance of the MIP report by the parliament, MPs are to take oath before the Sabor Speaker.

Apart from the Sabor Speaker, also five deputy speakers can but needn't be elected at the founding session. Three deputy speakers will come from the ranks of the ruling majority and two are designated for the Opposition.

According to agreement made by the ruling coalition, Josip Leko and Nenad Stazic of the SDP and Milorad Batinic of the HNS are the likeliest candidates for those posts. Parliamentary Opposition parties have agreed that the two posts of deputy speakers designated for the opposition will be filled in by HDZ officials. There are still no hints who can be HDZ candidates.

Upon the inaugural session, the parliament is expected to begin an extraordinary session on Thursday afternoon at which MPs are to discuss and vote on draft amendments to the legislation on the Government and on the jurisdiction and organisation of central state administrative agencies.

The SDP-led Kukuriku coalition has already announced its plans to enlarge the Government, rescind the post of state secretaries and reintroduce the post of deputy ministers.

The extraordinary parliamentary session will continue on Friday when PM-Designate Zoran Milanovic is expected to present members of his cabinet and seek a vote of confidence from the parliament.

In attendance at the inaugural session will be President Ivo Josipovic, other top officials and representatives of employers, trade unions, religious communities and other prominent people.