ZAGREB, April 16, 2020 – Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Wednesday that in the current crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic the parliament had entirely fulfilled its role, noting that the date of the next parliamentary election had not been discussed yet.
“At this moment, continuing the fight against the coronavirus and citizens’ health and lives are our absolute priority. We have not thought about or discussed a date for the elections,” Jandroković said in an interview with the HRT public broadcaster. He noted that elections could be held in December at the latest.
Jandroković could not rule out pay cuts for office holders. “We will see what the government will propose with regard to office-holders’ salaries, I believe that they will be reduced if necessary,” he said.
Jandroković also said that in the current crisis the parliament had successfully defended its status of a representative and legislative body and had completely fulfilled its role.
“We have adopted all important laws that concern the work of state institutions, we have sent a message of support to both the government and citizens to hold on as this is a difficult, unprecedented situation, but it will pass and we must emerge from it stronger,” he said.
Jandroković also commented on the remark that the opposition and the ruling majority disagreed as to how measures to fight the coronavirus should be adopted, by an absolute or two-thirds majority, and the fact that he had sought the opinion of the Constitutional Court on the matter.
“The Constitutional Court did not do anything that would indicate that we have violated the Constitution or a law in any way, if the Constitutional Court considered something as unlawful or unconstitutional, it would react,” he said.
Jandroković said that the parliament would evidently have to change the way it works because the crisis caused by the coronavirus was not likely to end soon.
The parliament’s work should be adjusted to include online sessions or video conferences, he said in a comment on the MOST party’s proposal for introducing online communication and electronic voting.
As for the SDP’s request that ministers come to the parliament every week to answer MPs’ questions, he said that it should be discussed as it would mean that there would no longer be Question Time.
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