Amendments to 2008 budget on agenda

Parliament will continue discussions of amendments to the 2008 budget proposal today. Parliamentary officials have debated about 80 of the altogether 108 amendments submitted regarding the government’s proposal. Amendments to 2008 budget on agenda Yesterday afternoon, Serb Radical Party (SRS) officials asked for the abolishment of various financial agencies, claiming that they merely served as “party sub-stations.” SRS officials called for the abolishment of the Commission for Determining Responsibility for Human Rights Violations (the Lustration Commission), stating that the commission only existed, but did not actually function. Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) official Rajko Baralic said that those who violated the human rights of others needed to be punished by law. “Lustration is not possible to implement if secret police archives are not opened,” Baralic said, adding that the SPS was the only party that voted for “secret and political files” to be opened at the last meeting of the Defense and Security Committee. “It is time for the parties of the ruling coalition to agree on whether they will implement the lustration law, or scrap the commission altogether,” Baralic said. The budget proposal envisages revenue of RSD 639.6bn (EUR 8bn), RSD 654.4bn (EUR 8.18bn) spending, meaning a budget deficit of some RSD 14.8bn (EUR 185mn).

Amendments to 2008 budget on agenda

Yesterday afternoon, Serb Radical Party (SRS) officials asked for the abolishment of various financial agencies, claiming that they merely served as “party sub-stations.”

SRS officials called for the abolishment of the Commission for Determining Responsibility for Human Rights Violations (the Lustration Commission), stating that the commission only existed, but did not actually function.

Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) official Rajko Baralić said that those who violated the human rights of others needed to be punished by law.

“Lustration is not possible to implement if secret police archives are not opened,” Baralić said, adding that the SPS was the only party that voted for “secret and political files” to be opened at the last meeting of the Defense and Security Committee.

“It is time for the parties of the ruling coalition to agree on whether they will implement the lustration law, or scrap the commission altogether,” Baralić said.

The budget proposal envisages revenue of RSD 639.6bn (EUR 8bn), RSD 654.4bn (EUR 8.18bn) spending, meaning a budget deficit of some RSD 14.8bn (EUR 185mn).