ZAGREB, 17 March, 2021 - Some parliamentary opposition parties on Wednesday criticised amendments to the Act on the Rights of Homeland War Veterans, saying that they unnecessarily expanded rights for that group, while the ruling majority dismissed their claims.

Damir Bakić of the Green-Left Bloc said the bill was harmful as it introduced in more than one way additional and not necessarily needed benefits, both financial and non-financial, for war veterans and members of their families.

"That will additionally move them away from society and real life, as if we were creating a new caste for which special rules apply," said Bakić.

Under the amendments, members of the families of fallen war veterans that already have their housing problems solved will each be able to regulate their housing needs under the bill, obstacles to one-off financial aid are being removed, the scope of persons who are given priority in employment is being expanded, Bakić said, citing some of the examples.

Silvano Hrelja of the Croatian Pensioner Party/Croatian Peasant Party group said he had nothing against war veterans being first-class citizens but that he was against pensioners being second-class citizens, so he proposed amendment of the Pension Insurance Act.

"The existing law on war veterans is good and what is now being proposed should be scrapped. Too much is too much," said Hrelja.

He stressed that defenders and disabled war veterans were worthy of everyone and every generation's respect, without special privileges and benefits.

Social Democrat Martina Vlašić-Iljkić said it was not necessary to additionally expand veterans' rights.

"How long will this continue? 25 years after the war the status of war veteran and disabled war veteran is being recognised," she asked, noting that care for war veterans was good, especially if compared to care for other groups such as pensioners, the socially deprived and civilians with disabilities.

Marijana Balić of the ruling HDZ party said the amendments were not about additional rights but exclusively about technical organisation regarding the exercise of rights from a law adopted in 2017, expediting procedures for granting the status of disabled war veteran, housing provision procedures, social rights and adjustment of pension insurance-related rights.

Miro Bulj (Bridge) and Željko Sačić (Sovereignists) said that they supported amendments designed to expedite procedures but noted that they could not help but think that they were being proposed for election purposes, and their view was supported by Stipo Mlinarić of the Homeland Movement.

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ZAGREB, 9 March, 2021 - Representatives of the Social Democratic Party, the Croatian Pensioners' Party, the Primorje-Gorski Kotar Alliance, the Istrian Democratic Party and the Croatian Peasant Party on Tuesday agreed to run together in local elections set for May, their candidate for county head being Zlatko Komadina.

Social Democrat Komadina, who serves as the head of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, said the six-party coalition had decided to stay together after its current term as the ruling coalition at the county level.

Darijo Vasilić, leader of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar Alliance (PGS), said that the coalition had implemented 84 EU-funded projects worth HRK 300 million, investing in infrastructure, ports, the school system, health and other activities within the remit of county authorities.

Komadina said his SDP party would run in all 36 local government units in the county, nominating its own candidates for mayors or municipal heads or supporting PGS or independent candidates.

 For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

Krešo Beljak, president of the Croatian Peasant Party, joins Total Croatia News as a guest columnist.