NGOs want parliament to remove four ministers

NGOs want parliament to remove four ministers

A statement by the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) says those ministers have continuously undermined the country's legal system, separation of powers, development of democracy and the values the Serbian Constitution and laws are based on.

The defense minister committed a flagrant violation of the law by refusing to cooperate with the ombudsman and afterwards behaving irresponsibly in order to defend that action, the statement says.

Stefanovic, who joined in the campaign against the ombudsman and tried to present official Interior Ministry documents as views and statements by individuals, should have been relieved last year, when it was discovered that his PhD thesis was plagiarized, the Human Rights House pointed out.

The justice minister caused a four-month strike by the lawyers and paralyzed the country's legal system through his actions and proposed laws, according to the NGOs.

The head of the Anti-Corruption Agency has also recommended that Selakovic be replaced, and recommendations from that independent body have to be considered and should be followed if the goal is to establish the rule of law in Serbia, the statement says.

When it comes to the labor minister, the NGOs note there is "a huge number of legal violations that warrant his immediate removal from office."

"Vulin should have been replaced because of an attempt to embezzle almost EUR 2 million from the state budget, which happened in his ministry, and for introducing forced labor for welfare users among other things," the Human Rights House points out.

Undermining the rule of law, criminal actions and attempts to destroy independent institutions demand an urgent reaction from the parliament, the NGOs remarked.

"The parliament's refusal to initiate the procedure to replace the four ministers would send the message to the public that the government majority is behind these actions," they concluded in the statement.