ZAGREB, 22 December, 2021 - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Tuesday that it was important to determine the exact number of signatures collected by MOST for its petition for a referendum against COVID certificates so as to avoid polemics, suspicions and accusations.
Croatia now needs peace and not conflicts, Jandroković said during the commercial NOVA TV broadcaster's prime time news programme on Tuesday evening.
"It is of extreme importance to make sure that the counting of the signatures be transparent," said the Sabor Speaker.
He is also for authorising an autonomous body or agency to monitor the counting of the signatures.
The engagement of an independent body will be for the purpose of dispelling any suspicions whether that opposition party had collected the required number of signatures or if it failed in it initiative.
Jandroković noted that Croatia was the only country in the world in which signatures had been collected for the petition for a referendum against COVID certificates.
Asked by the anchorman whether MOST was prepared to call on citizens to take to the streets to protest in the event that this party failed to collect the signatures, Jandroković said that the question should be referred to MOST representatives.
As for the divisions in the society concerning the pandemic protocols, Jandroković said that such divisions could be seen in Europe and the whole world.
"There are some people who believe and think that getting vaccinated is not O.K. I disagree with that and I think that vaccines are an achievement of civilisation."
Constitutional Court's ruling on COVID-19 pandemic protocols as expected
Commenting on the Constitutional Court's ruling that pandemic protocols implemented in Croatia to curb the spread of coronavrus are legitimate, Jandroković said that the ruling was as expected and it confirmed that digital COVID passes had been introduced in compliance with law and the Constitution.
This is proof that the parliament has done its job in compliance with law and that we were right when we followed Article 16 of the Constitution in making concerning decisions, the parliament chief added.
Commenting on President Milanović's behaviour and accusations he levelled against the government and the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), Jandroković said that Milanović is trying to undermine all good results of the government.
This year has been burdened by the corona crisis and the consequences of the devastating earthquakes, as well as growing populism and demagoguery around the world. Croatia has managed to have the most successful tourist season, the construction of Pelješac Bridge was completed, we are about to enter the Schengen area and the euro area. The government is doing a serious job, while the president is trying to undermine the government's good efforts, said Jandroković.
