MOST complains on Facebook, the public reacts with negative comments
MOST published a Facebook post on February 18, 2016, criticizing HDZ and SDP because they prevented them from implementing their proposal about the abolition of benefits for members of parliament who currently have a right to receive their full salary for six months after the end of their terms, and half salary for additional six months.
“Our fellow MPs from HDZ and SDP have blocked our proposal for amendments to the Law on MP Benefits. There were 48 MPs who did it. We have fulfilled our promise by proposing the changes, however it seems there are too many ‘professional politicians’ in parliament who obviously do not want to share the fate of other citizens after their term of office ends and lose their income”, MOST wrote and added that they would strive to “change the law for the next parliament, given that it is now impossible to do it for this parliament”.
“Every day, we will remind our colleagues about our proposal and wait for them one by one to change their minds”, MOST concluded. Post created quite a backlash since the comments were less than positive, the general public was reminding them of all the promises they have broken since they came to power.
Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Robert Podolnjak (MOST) explained for Večernji list that there were 48 MPs from this and previous parliament who requested the activation of their right for compensation of full salary for six months after leaving the parliament. Podolnjak reminded the journalists that at the very start of the new parliament MOST sent into the parliamentary procedure the proposal which would abolish the possibility of salary compensation.
“Our intention was for the law to be adopted in an expedited procedure, in just one reading, immediately after the vote of confidence in the new government. We have proposed this at a time when we thought that the law could apply to all members of this parliament. If the law was adopted then, not one of the new MPs could take advantage of this right. However, the opinion of the Patriotic Coalition and other parties was that the law cannot go directly to the floor of the parliament, but that it first has to be reviewed by parliamentary committees, which did not yet exist at the time”, said Podolnjak.
Since the law cannot be applied retroactively, Podolnjak admitted there is no longer any possibility to prevent current MPs from using the “six months plus six months” salary compensation, but pointed out that MOST would not withdraw their proposal. “We will not give up, this law will be changed this way or another, but will include MPs starting from the next parliament”, said Podolnjak.
