Think Tank Calls for Law Barring Public Officials from Holding Party Posts While in Office

BIRODI

The Bureau for Social Research (BIRODI) said on July 24 that the forthcoming amendments to the Law on the Prevention of Corruption should separate the state from political parties, strengthen the integrity of public officials and political parties, and enhance the independence of the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption.

The Bureau is suggesting that the amendments stipulate that public officials may not simultaneously hold a position in a political party or other political organization during their term of office. The measure would ensure the implementation of Article 6 of the Constitution, which states: “No person may perform a state or public function that conflicts with their other functions, activities or private interests,” the nongovernmental organization said in a release.

It explained that the constitutional provision clearly separates the state, representing the public interest, from political parties, which represent particular interests, and implements the first priority recommendation of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) on preventing the abuse of public resources and public office for political purposes.

The NGO also proposed introducing a legal obligation to adopt and implement local integrity plans and integrity plans for political parties. “Political parties entitled to funding from public resources should be required to adopt and implement an integrity plan. The Agency for the Prevention of Corruption would oversee their implementation, while consistent compliance with the integrity plan would be a condition for political parties to receive funding from the Serbian state budget,” the organization said.