Adoption of information law in balance

A big question mark hangs over the adoption of the Law on Public Information after the SPS announced that it would be abstaining from the parliamentary vote. MPs are due to vote on annexes and amendments to the Law on Public Information under urgent procedure. Even though voting has been scheduled for Thursday, it is still not certain whether the bill will be passed after the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) announced that it would be abstaining, as it had earlier at the cabinet vote on the issue. Adoption of information law in balance In the meantime, the Culture Ministry, which proposed the law, stated that it would not reverse the recommended changes. “The law has just arrived. We know what went on in the government. We have the same stance as our ministers in the government, we will be discussing all of the modalities,” SPS official Milisav Petronijevic said. Although the proposal states that the goal of the changes is to introduce more order and responsibility into the sphere of the media, the SPS claims that it does not want to be accused of doing the same things that the party was accused of doing in the past. Their coalition partners, however, are convinced that there will be no problems with the voting. “I must say that as an MP group, we will accept and support the law, along with the Culture Ministry which proposed all the changes that could make the law better,” G17 Plus official Vlajko Senic said. “There are some basic things that must be put in order and there is no kind of rotten compromise, and, as far as the way in which the law will be passed is concerned, I wouldn’t start counting MPs right now. I think that there is a large majority in the ruling coalition and that it will be enough to pass the law,” he said. The Culture Ministry stated that the essence of the proposed changes could not be called into question, because the goal was to guarantee and protect freedom of the media and the public’s right to know the truth. The opposition Serb Progressive Party (SNS) stated that the draft was scandalous and an attempt to stifle media freedoms. The government, by contrast, insists that the media space needs to be brought into order. “There can’t be print media coming out every day with months of blockades, where their employees are not being paid, where their dues to the state are not being paid either, while it is being published every day. That is not a question of getting involved in editorial policy in the media, it is basic respect of the rules of doing business that apply to others, and I don’t know see why it would be any different for the media,” Democratic Party whip Nada Kolundzija said. The Serbian Journalists’ Association wants the law to be pulled from procedure and put up for public debate. The Association of Independent Electronic Media has called on the government to look at other solutions, because it states that the draft constitutes a threat to freedom of speech in Serbia. Most of the controversy has been caused by the article on mandatory founding capital for publishers of dailies, and fines for violating the presumption of innocence and the size of the fines for those in the media that violate the law.

Adoption of information law in balance

In the meantime, the Culture Ministry, which proposed the law, stated that it would not reverse the recommended changes.

“The law has just arrived. We know what went on in the government. We have the same stance as our ministers in the government, we will be discussing all of the modalities,” SPS official Milisav Petronijević said.

Although the proposal states that the goal of the changes is to introduce more order and responsibility into the sphere of the media, the SPS claims that it does not want to be accused of doing the same things that the party was accused of doing in the past.

Their coalition partners, however, are convinced that there will be no problems with the voting.

“I must say that as an MP group, we will accept and support the law, along with the Culture Ministry which proposed all the changes that could make the law better,” G17 Plus official Vlajko Senić said.

“There are some basic things that must be put in order and there is no kind of rotten compromise, and, as far as the way in which the law will be passed is concerned, I wouldn’t start counting MPs right now. I think that there is a large majority in the ruling coalition and that it will be enough to pass the law,” he said.

The Culture Ministry stated that the essence of the proposed changes could not be called into question, because the goal was to guarantee and protect freedom of the media and the public’s right to know the truth.

The opposition Serb Progressive Party (SNS) stated that the draft was scandalous and an attempt to stifle media freedoms.

The government, by contrast, insists that the media space needs to be brought into order.

“There can’t be print media coming out every day with months of blockades, where their employees are not being paid, where their dues to the state are not being paid either, while it is being published every day. That is not a question of getting involved in editorial policy in the media, it is basic respect of the rules of doing business that apply to others, and I don’t know see why it would be any different for the media,” Democratic Party whip Nada Kolundžija said.

The Serbian Journalists’ Association wants the law to be pulled from procedure and put up for public debate.

The Association of Independent Electronic Media has called on the government to look at other solutions, because it states that the draft constitutes a threat to freedom of speech in Serbia.

Most of the controversy has been caused by the article on mandatory founding capital for publishers of dailies, and fines for violating the presumption of innocence and the size of the fines for those in the media that violate the law.