"Budget postponement down to political blackmail"

MP records show that the 2008 budget was not adopted owing to the absence of certain DSS and NS deputies. According to records, all Democratic Party and G17 Plus officials were present, while 12 Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) and New Serbia (NS) members were absent. "Budget postponement down to political blackmail" Previously, officials from the Serb Radical Party (SRS), the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) had sought answers to this mystery. LDP representative Slobodan Maras criticized Parliamentary Speaker Oliver Dulic for not taking a roll call of MPs in attendance, in order to see who was obstructing the session where the budget was due to be adopted. However, Dulic explained earlier that he had given up on the vote, because at a meeting of government representatives he had been informed that he could not rely on the presence of all 126 members of the governing coalition. He said that the vote had been postponed until next week. Economic journalist Misa Brkic told B92 that failure to adopt the budget constituted a breach of the law. “Under the law, the budget should have been adopted by December 15. Next week is the last of the year, so it’s not really that simple to just say ‘we’ll do it next week,’ as the speaker said,” explained Brkic. In the journalist’s opinion, Dulic does not wish to criticize the DSS-NS coalition. “It’s obvious that political blackmail on the part of the DSS-NS is going on here. The reason is the announcement of presidential elections. Having obstructed adoption of the budget, we received confirmation of this in a DSS-NS statement that called on the DS, as its coalition partner, to discuss supporting a single candidate at the election,“ he said. “I think the budget will be enacted. What we’ve got here is political blackmail by a small party who, through political bartering, has managed to acquire considerable political power and the possibility to run the country. This ‘exercise in blackmail’ is the best way for citizens to see how parties who preach the state and state interests are in fact just working in their own tiny party interests,” Brkic concluded. The votes of 126 MPs are required for the budget to be adopted.

"Budget postponement down to political blackmail"

Previously, officials from the Serb Radical Party (SRS), the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) had sought answers to this mystery.

LDP representative Slobodan Maraš criticized Parliamentary Speaker Oliver Dulić for not taking a roll call of MPs in attendance, in order to see who was obstructing the session where the budget was due to be adopted.

However, Dulić explained earlier that he had given up on the vote, because at a meeting of government representatives he had been informed that he could not rely on the presence of all 126 members of the governing coalition. He said that the vote had been postponed until next week.

Economic journalist Miša Brkić told B92 that failure to adopt the budget constituted a breach of the law.

“Under the law, the budget should have been adopted by December 15. Next week is the last of the year, so it’s not really that simple to just say ‘we’ll do it next week,’ as the speaker said,” explained Brkić.

In the journalist’s opinion, Dulić does not wish to criticize the DSS-NS coalition.

“It’s obvious that political blackmail on the part of the DSS-NS is going on here. The reason is the announcement of presidential elections. Having obstructed adoption of the budget, we received confirmation of this in a DSS-NS statement that called on the DS, as its coalition partner, to discuss supporting a single candidate at the election,“ he said.

“I think the budget will be enacted. What we’ve got here is political blackmail by a small party who, through political bartering, has managed to acquire considerable political power and the possibility to run the country. This ‘exercise in blackmail’ is the best way for citizens to see how parties who preach the state and state interests are in fact just working in their own tiny party interests,” Brkić concluded.

The votes of 126 MPs are required for the budget to be adopted.