New law could compromise integration

The further European integration of Serbia could be compromised by a recently passed law, Cedomir Cupic said. According to the President of the Committee of the Agency for the Fight Against Corruption, the law that allows state officials to occupy more than one position in the administration legally could lead to problems. New law could compromise integration The law that allows this right to public officials is currently being evaluated to see whether it violates constitutional charters. Cupic said that the law might be sent to international organizations as well in order to get more reactions to the apparent violations of the constitution. “The Serbian constitution does not allow holding positions in the legislative and executive branches of government at once. International organizations such as the Council of Europe’s Commission for the fight against corruption—GRECO, OEBS and the UN sector for the fight against crime and corruption, which we will be informing of the Serbian government’s behavior, have mechanisms of their own. Especially since the fight against corruption is one of the priority activities we have obligated ourselves to and accepted as a condition for EU integration,” Cupic said. He said that the agency will ask the constitutional court to be effective, like it was in March when three MPs from the provincial parliament asked its opinion on a conflict of interest case. Cupic said that the case with the “double positions” is clear, because article 6 and 101 of the constitution are being violated, adding that he expects that the Constitutional Court would stand behind constitutionality strongly, as it did in the case of the Information Law. Cedomir Cupic (FoNet archive)

New law could compromise integration

The law that allows this right to public officials is currently being evaluated to see whether it violates constitutional charters.

Čupič said that the law might be sent to international organizations as well in order to get more reactions to the apparent violations of the constitution.

“The Serbian constitution does not allow holding positions in the legislative and executive branches of government at once. International organizations such as the Council of Europe’s Commission for the fight against corruption—GRECO, OEBS and the UN sector for the fight against crime and corruption, which we will be informing of the Serbian government’s behavior, have mechanisms of their own. Especially since the fight against corruption is one of the priority activities we have obligated ourselves to and accepted as a condition for EU integration,” Čupič said.

He said that the agency will ask the constitutional court to be effective, like it was in March when three MPs from the provincial parliament asked its opinion on a conflict of interest case.

Čupič said that the case with the “double positions” is clear, because article 6 and 101 of the constitution are being violated, adding that he expects that the Constitutional Court would stand behind constitutionality strongly, as it did in the case of the Information Law.