ZAGREB, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Croatian parliament on Wednesday rejected an opposition motion to remove Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic from office over the illegal dumping of hazardous waste in central Croatia.
Of the lawmakers present, 55 voted in favor of the motion, 79 voted against and two abstained. The motion failed to secure the 76 votes needed for approval in the 151-seat parliament.
The opposition Social Democratic Party initiated the motion, holding Plenkovic primarily responsible for what it described as failures in waste management, not only in the Lika region but across the country.
The vote followed a dispute over about 37,000 tons of waste illegally dumped in Gospic. The initial Europol report said much of the waste was imported from other European Union countries, namely Italy, Slovenia and Germany. An expert report found so-called "forever chemicals" and heavy metals downstream of the illegal landfill, and residents fear the waste is endangering their health.
Thousands of people rallied in Zagreb on Sept. 5 to demand an urgent cleanup of the site and an immediate ban on waste imports. ■
