The parliament's Committee on the Constitution, Standing Orders and Political System on Monday amended draft constitutional changes to regulate the voting of Croatian citizens residing abroad, in accordance with Friday's agreement between Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) leaders Jadranka Kosor and Zoran Milanovic.
The committee unanimously sent into parliamentary procedure amendments to Article 45 of the Constitution which regulates that right.
Under the amended draft, Croatia voters above the age of 18 would have general and equal voting rights at elections
for the Croatian parliament, the Croatian president, the European Parliament, and at state referendums.
In elections for the Croatian parliament, voters who do not reside in Croatia would be entitled to elect three MPs.
In elections for the Croatian parliament, the Croatian president, the European Parliament, and at state referendums, the voting right would be exercised in direct elections by secret ballot. Voters without residence in Croatia or those who happen to be outside of the country during the elections would vote in Croatian diplomatic missions.
The draft changes will now be discussed by parliament, said Vladimir Seks, the committee chair and parliament deputy speaker.
He said it parliament could discuss the draft constitutional changes on Thursday or Friday. After the discussion, the Committee on the Constitution, Standing Orders and Political System will prepare the final draft to change the Constitution.
"The final draft is adopted with the two-thirds majority vote of all MPs," said Seks.
He told reporters that the content of four items in the draft had still not been agreed, referring to general education, the election of Constitutional Court judges, the regulation of the relationship of the government and parliament with European Union bodies, and the content and scope of the constitutional right to access to information.
Asked about the SDP's request that the Constitution include a ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation, Seks said the HDZ's position was that this issue was regulated by the law on the prevention of discrimination. He added the SDP had not yet formalised its request and still had time to do so.
Seks said the SDP had not formalised either its request to strike a provision under which the remit and organisation of the Office of the President of the Republic would be regulated by law.
Seks said that if the SDP submitted such an amendment, it was very likely to be rejected, as the ruling majority felt that the matter should be regulated by law.
