Negotiations Between Regime, Opposition on Electoral Process Continue

Photo: Beta/Milan Ilic

The third day of talks between parliamentary parties of the ruling majority and the opposition regarding further steps in the implementation of the ODIHR’s recommendations on improving Serbia’s electoral process began at the Serbian National Assembly in the morning hours of April 11.

The day’s agenda includes proposed revisions to the Law on Financing Political Activity, the Law on the Prevention of Corruption, the Law on the Election of Members of Parliament, the Law on Local Elections, and the Constitutional Court Act, which would enable the adoption of seven of the latest 25 recommendations made by ODIHR – the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

The parliamentary sit-down was called by Speaker Ana Brnabic, and includes MPs of the ruling coalition and the opposition parties gathered around the Serbia Against Violence coalition, while representatives from the NADA coalition and the Ecological Uprising stated in advance that they would not attend.

Also present at the negotiations are U.S. Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill, Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Emanuele Giaufret, Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia Jan Braathu and representatives of the non-governmental sector from Transparency Serbia, the Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability (CRTA) and the Center for Free Elections and Democracy (CeSID).

At the two previous sit-downs, the opposition requested the formation of a commission that would audit the electoral roll, that all parties competing in the elections be given airtime on the RTS public service, and that the Belgrade elections be held concurrently with all other local elections.

The authorities accepted the first two demands in principle but refused the last, after which the opposition said it will not negotiate the first two points until all three requests have been met.