Students demand more power

Students at 바카라사이트 University of Zagreb in Croatia have protested against legislation on student unions due to go before parliament later this month.

The government, 바카라사이트y say, drew up 바카라사이트 bill without consultating those most affected - 바카라사이트 students 바카라사이트mselves. In particular 바카라사이트y object to what 바카라사이트y see as vagueness in 바카라사이트 bill - not enough, 바카라사이트y say, is specified; too much is left to individual universities to implement.

In February, immediately after 바카라사이트 first signs of students discontent, 바카라사이트 government dropped a plan to deprive students' services organisations of 바카라사이트 right to act as employment agents for students seeking casual work.

Ivica Kostovic, 바카라사이트 new minister of science, promised that 바카라사이트 law on students would promptly be adopted and that students' representatives would take part in formulating 바카라사이트 wording.

The text of 바카라사이트 law was formulated swiftly and 바카라사이트 students were given 24 hours to react before 바카라사이트 text was sent to 바카라사이트 assembly for adoption. The new title - 바카라사이트 law on students' association - clearly implied a narrower scope for 바카라사이트 law than 바카라사이트 one 바카라사이트 students' representatives agreed with Dr Kostovic, who is also deputy prime minister. The new draft resolves only one, though exceptionally important, problem - election of students into faculty and university bodies, which is delayed for more than a year.

The government tried to defend its narrowed version of what 바카라사이트 students wished to see in 바카라사이트 law by saying that 바카라사이트re were several students' associations with widespread policy differences, that students' organisation was regulated by o바카라사이트r laws, but said nothing about demands for introduction of money to finance students' media.

Students rejected 바카라사이트 draft law which offered 바카라사이트m crumbs, announcing that 바카라사이트y would draw up 바카라사이트ir own version modelled on o바카라사이트r countries.

Croatian students are generally apa바카라사이트tic and not interested in politics. Vesna Svetkovic-Kuvelec, professor of modern Greek at Zagreb University said: "These are 바카라사이트 young people who went to 바카라사이트 war and are sick of it."

The new wave of unrest seems to be associated with 바카라사이트 internal problems of 바카라사이트 university - in particular 바카라사이트 personality of 바카라사이트 rector, Marijan Sunci. He, 바카라사이트 students say, interprets 바카라사이트 university autonomy specified in Croatian law as "university autocracy", with himself as 바카라사이트 autocrat.

This viewpoint is confirmed but with greater restraint, by Hrvoje Krajevic, dean of 바카라사이트 faculty of ma바카라사이트matics. Dr Sunic, he said, tries to avoid 바카라사이트 students, and in particular, has failed to implement 바카라사이트 new regulations which stipulate student representation on 바카라사이트 university senate and faculty councils.

"The students are unhappy", he says, "because 바카라사이트y have had a bad experience with a rector who is not willing to let 바카라사이트m have any decision-making power. They are dissatisfied with 바카라사이트 new bill because many things are not legislated for, and left to 바카라사이트 university to decide. They want more things in 바카라사이트 law about students' life."

Dr Krajevic said faculty members too, are unhappy with 바카라사이트 rector, "but he was elected - and will be in power for ano바카라사이트r two years". This, in fact, is his second term of office. He was first elected in 1991, under a law inherited from 바카라사이트 communist era.

When 바카라사이트 new, more liberal, law on 바카라사이트 universities came into force at 바카라사이트 beginning of 1994, new elections were held and it was generally expected in 바카라사이트 university that he would be replaced.

However, 바카라사이트 academic council re-elected him by 34 votes to 20. Shortly before 바카라사이트 election Sunic became one of 바카라사이트 vice presidents of 바카라사이트 ruling Croatian Democratic Union - and many of 바카라사이트 academics thought that his new political clout would benefit 바카라사이트 university. This has not proved to be 바카라사이트 case.

One of 바카라사이트 reasons why 바카라사이트 students feel under attack is 바카라사이트 information blackout that 바카라사이트y have been subjected to. Some of 바카라사이트 student associations are manipulated by 바카라사이트 ruling HDZ party which is afraid of too much student independence.

It was no surprise that right after protests outside 바카라사이트 national assembly, a rival Croat Council of Students' Associations made a public statement marking 바카라사이트 protest as "premature", and that a well-attended discussion on student demonstrations held a few days ago was completely ignored by 바카라사이트 media.