Ruzic: No Need for Politicization of Proposed Changes to Referendum Law

Branko Ruzic (Beta/Milan Obradovic)

Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government Branko Ruzic said for the RTS Public Service on Nov. 21, that there is no need for politicization of the subject of the legal amendments to the referendum and people’s initiative law.

In an interview for RTS, Ruzic said that the novelties in the Draft Law on Referendum and People’s Initiative were envisioned by the Serbian Constitution from 2006, and that only now these matters are being put into a law.

“Those who are concerned and are turning this into a political issue, who are talking about high treason should read it [the Constitution] first,” said Ruzic.

He stated that the public debate on the Draft Law will end on Nov. 22, and, according to him, it has been commended for having clearly defined deadlines, for addressing the court protection problems and making certain decisions binding, for extending the deadline for people’s initiatives from seven to 90 days, and similar.

So far there have been only four people’s initiatives in Serbia, of which only one was successful – the initiative by the Tijana Juric Foundation which proposed amendments to the Criminal Law.

Ruzic recalled that to this day, Serbia has had three referendums (1992, 1998, and 2006) and that they had all been proposed by the National Assembly, and not the citizens.