State budget controversy

BELGRADE The Democrats have called up an urgent meeting in the wake of the governemt's adoption of the interim financing Decree Thursday. The Democratic Party (DS), G17 Plus and The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) representatives were expected to meet today in the DS headquarters to discuss scheduling an urgent parliament session, meant to deal with the amendment of the Law on Budget. State budget controversy However, the DSS representatives failed to show up, saying that the meeting intended to discuss the session and constitution of the parliament should gather all parliamentary parties and take place in the Parliament building. The Democrats called up the meeting after what they deemed was a dubious decision of the caretaker government to extend the interim financing regime by adopting the Decree on interim financing of the Republic of Serbia for January-June 2007. The Decree on interim financing for January-March 2007 was adopted in December 2006, and expired of March 31. Constitutional Court Judge Svetozar Ciplic said that the caretaker government violated the Constitution by adopting the decree. “The Article 92 of the Constitution, stipulating that the time-limits for adopting the state budget and interim financing regime are regulated by law, has been overtly violated, including the Laws on Budget and Government ,” he said. However, finance ministry coordinator Milan Parivodic Milan Parivodic disagreed with Ciplic. Commenting on accusation that the caretaker government overstepped its authority by adopting the Decree, Parivodic said that the outgoing government “followed the legal principle of acting in cases of emergency.” He said that the Decree was not illegally adopted, since the outgoing government “was left with no other option, bearing in mind that the Parliament was not operational and a new government not yet formed.” President Tadic said Thursday that the adoption of the Decree on interim financing of the Republic of Serbia for January-June 2007 ran against the law and the Constitution, adding that only an immediate session of the Parliament could provide means to restore legal order. The Parliament should urgently convene to amend the Law on Budget, and provide legal basis for the government to adopt the Decree on interim financing for the next three months in accordance with the Constitution and the law, the president's cabinet said in a statement.

State budget controversy

However, the DSS representatives failed to show up, saying that the meeting intended to discuss the session and constitution of the parliament should gather all parliamentary parties and take place in the Parliament building.

The Democrats called up the meeting after what they deemed  was a dubious decision of the caretaker government to extend the interim financing regime by adopting the Decree on interim financing of the Republic of Serbia for January-June 2007.

The Decree on interim financing for January-March 2007 was adopted in December 2006, and expired of March 31.

Constitutional Court Judge Svetozar Čiplić said that the caretaker government violated the Constitution by adopting the decree.

“The Article 92 of the Constitution, stipulating that the time-limits for adopting the state budget and interim financing regime are regulated by law, has been overtly violated, including the Laws on Budget and Government ,” he said.

However, finance ministry coordinator Milan Parivodić Milan Parivodić disagreed with Čiplić.

Commenting on accusation that the caretaker government overstepped its authority by adopting the Decree, Parivodić said that the outgoing government “followed the legal principle of acting in cases of emergency.”

He said that the Decree was not illegally adopted, since the outgoing government “was left with no other option, bearing in mind that the Parliament was not operational and a new government not yet formed.”

President Tadić said Thursday that the adoption of the Decree on interim financing of the Republic of Serbia for January-June 2007 ran against the law and the Constitution, adding that only an immediate session of the Parliament could provide means to restore legal order.

The Parliament should urgently convene to amend the Law on Budget, and provide legal basis for the government to adopt the Decree on interim financing for the next three months in accordance with the Constitution and the law, the president's cabinet said in a statement.