Lawyer: Poor Atmosphere in the Parliament Undermines its Authority

Rodoljub Sabic (Beta/Milan Obradovic)

Serbia’s first commissioner for information of public importance, the lawyer Rodoljub Sabic, said on Aug. 3 that “the atmosphere surrounding the inauguration of a new Parliament of Serbia has additionally undermined the institution’s already damaged authority.”

“Rough and orchestrated attacks against the chair of the assembly, Vladeta Jankovic, over an unexpected, brief and by all means civilized speech about the importance of parliament and fair elections, are completely inappropriate,” Sabic said in a press release.

As he put it, “the attacks have cast a shadow over a promise that a more constructive atmosphere will be set in the Parliament.” Sabic also said that it’s indeed unbecoming for the chair to be accused of violating the Rules of Procedure by the same people who have undermined the reputation of that same institution by violating the statute repeatedly for years, behaving badly and using offensive and indecent language.”

According to Sabic, “contrary to the explicit letter of the Constitution, some members of the largest parliamentary group have joined the Parliament of Serbia holding the offices the Constitution does not permit them to hold as MPs, and the clear intention to let them hold the incompatible offices has created legal confusion and doubts as to the validity of dual office-holding and the credibility of the inauguration procedure.”