President signs controversial changes into law

Serbian President Boris Tadic has signed the amendments to the Law on the Anti-Corruption Agency, adopted by MPs earlier this week. The changes allow all local and provincial councilors and MPs who held these position on January 1, hold on these, and any other office they may hold, until end of their mandates. President signs controversial changes into law According to the new bylaw, which was adopted in parliament on June 28, an official who held more than one office on January 1, 2010 has time until September 1 to inform the Anti-Corruption Agency about what functions and jobs they perform. The Anti-Corruption Agency will then inspect the cases and if officials are found in violation of the conflict of interest, they will be a 30-day deadline to terminate the disputable office. Anti-Corruption Agency Director Zorana Markovic on Thursday called on Tadic not to sign the amended law, and said that it “puts a serious question mark over the democratic control of power”. Boris Tadic (FoNet, file)

President signs controversial changes into law

According to the new bylaw, which was adopted in parliament on June 28, an official who held more than one office on January 1, 2010 has time until September 1 to inform the Anti-Corruption Agency about what functions and jobs they perform.

The Anti-Corruption Agency will then inspect the cases and if officials are found in violation of the conflict of interest, they will be a 30-day deadline to terminate the disputable office.

Anti-Corruption Agency Director Zorana Marković on Thursday called on Tadić not to sign the amended law, and said that it “puts a serious question mark over the democratic control of power”.