No confidence vote postponed

The opposition plans to go ahead with the no confidence vote in the government, despite its lack of a majority to oust the ruling coalition. The vote was originally scheduled for today, but was moved to next week because of obstruction of the parliamentary agenda. No confidence vote postponed Serb Radical Party (SRS) deputy leader Dragan Todorovic said that next week’s session would show that the government no longer had a mandate to work because it was “secretly negotiating” over the deployment of EULEX. 126 MPs need to vote against the government in order for the no confidence vote to succeed. Even though the SRS is aware that it does not have the required majority, it feels that the session must be held in order for the public to know that the government has indirectly recognized Kosovo independence. Ruling Democratic Party (DS) official Nada Kolundzija said that the government could not be toppled and that the vote was pointless. “It has a point if you want to tell every government official to their face what you think, but they are doing that for ten hours a day every day, regardless of what is on the agenda,” Kolundzija said. “I do not see any reason to call this session for what is being said already, non-stop. How are the people supposed to hear it now? But, okay, we will respect our constitutional obligations, she said. Todorovic is content with the government’s decision to initiate an investigation into the wages of directors at Nikola Tesla Airport and the other public companies. He said that the government must know how the public companies are doing business, and that it is responsible for what has been going on at the airport. “The corresponding ministries for the public companies in their orbit are responsible for the work of these companies, and they must submit regular reports to the ministries and government. So, for the government to say that it is unaware of what is going on holds no water,” Todorovic said. G17 Plus official Suzana Grubjesic said that the new airport director would be chosen through a public competition for the job. Officials from both the government and opposition agree that high salaries for directors and board members are not the only problems in the public companies, and say that a systematic solution is required through privatization and destruction of monopolies on the Serbian market. Dragan Todorovic (FoNet, archive)

No confidence vote postponed

Serb Radical Party (SRS) deputy leader Dragan Todorović said that next week’s session would show that the government no longer had a mandate to work because it was “secretly negotiating” over the deployment of EULEX.

126 MPs need to vote against the government in order for the no confidence vote to succeed.

Even though the SRS is aware that it does not have the required majority, it feels that the session must be held in order for the public to know that the government has indirectly recognized Kosovo independence.

Ruling Democratic Party (DS) official Nada Kolundžija said that the government could not be toppled and that the vote was pointless.

“It has a point if you want to tell every government official to their face what you think, but they are doing that for ten hours a day every day, regardless of what is on the agenda,” Kolundžija said.

“I do not see any reason to call this session for what is being said already, non-stop. How are the people supposed to hear it now? But, okay, we will respect our constitutional obligations, she said.

Todorović is content with the government’s decision to initiate an investigation into the wages of directors at Nikola Tesla Airport and the other public companies.

He said that the government must know how the public companies are doing business, and that it is responsible for what has been going on at the airport.

“The corresponding ministries for the public companies in their orbit are responsible for the work of these companies, and they must submit regular reports to the ministries and government. So, for the government to say that it is unaware of what is going on holds no water,” Todorović said.

G17 Plus official Suzana Grubješić said that the new airport director would be chosen through a public competition for the job.

Officials from both the government and opposition agree that high salaries for directors and board members are not the only problems in the public companies, and say that a systematic solution is required through privatization and destruction of monopolies on the Serbian market.