Parliament to Discuss Security, Dismissal of Interior Minister

A Session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia (BetaPhoto/Milan Obradovic)

On May 18, the National Assembly of Serbia will open a new session, where it will discuss the security situation in the country following the mass murders at Vladislav Ribnikar Elementary School in Belgrade and the villages of Malo Orasje, near Smederevo, and Dubona, near Mladenovac.

Aside from the Cabinet’s report on security, the session’s agenda also includes a discussion of the oversight report regarding commercial media provider programming from October 2022 through March 2023, with a special emphasis on the coverage of violence in TV programs, submitted by the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media.

Said report, adopted by Parliament’s Committee for Culture and Information on May 17, claims that all national free-to-air TV channels have met the necessary standards and makes no mention of the violence in reality TV shows, most notable on Pink TV.

MPs will also consider a proposal by Green Left Club MP Radomir Lazovic to form an Inquiry Committee for ascertaining the circumstances leading to the mass murders, including errors and omissions by persons of authority, as well as for determining accountability and proposing further measures.

Another agenda item is the request for a vote of confidence in Interior Minister Bratislav Gasic, submitted by 61 MPs.

Although the session is officially regular, it was scheduled at the request of all opposition MPs, who have also demanded Gasic’s removal, the banning of all reality TV programs, revoking permits for Pink TV and Happy TV, and new management for the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media.