“Political will lacking in tackling corruption”

The members of the Anti-Corruption Council say that there is no political will to fight corruption in Serbia. The Council wants the draft law on the Anti-Corruption Agency to be withdrawn from parliamentary procedure and to be reviewed. “Political will lacking in tackling corruption” “The adoption of the law will not only hamper the fight against corruption but will cancel out the results we’ve achieved so far and make the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy harder,” Barac said. She said that the Council had sent a motion calling for the withdrawal of the draft law from parliamentary procedure to President Boris Tadic, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic, Speaker Slavica Djukic Dejanovic and Justice Minister Snezana Malovic. Barac said that Serbia already had anti-corruption bodies, but that they lacked adequate working conditions and their experiences had not been used when drawing up the new law. "The essential issue of the fight against corruption in Serbia is the disregard of laws that already exist,” read a Council statement. Barac emphasized that without safe and efficient institutions, the laws, however good they were, could not be applied, adding that “frequent changes of the law will not contribute to the fight against corruption.” The Board for Prevention of Conflicts of Interest was formed three years ago, she said, adding that once it was proved to be working effectively it was planned to merged it with the future Agency. "The State Audit Institute, which was established one year ago, has only just been provided with premises,” Barac said, adding that at that pace it would be another year before it had staff capable of performing its basic function. The Council objects to the draft because it states that the Agency will control the financing of political parties, but does not state the ways that that will be carried out. A proposal that state officials who fail to report their property should be sentenced to up to five years in prison is inappropriate because such cases do not pose a public threat, and should be treated as misdemeanors. The Anti-Corruption Agency will, if the draft is adopted, have jurisdiction in the prevention of conflicts of interest, keeping a register of state officials and their property, controlling the financing of political parties, and in international cooperation in the fight against corruption. The Agency would have a director and a nine-member board elected by parliament.

“Political will lacking in tackling corruption”

“The adoption of the law will not only hamper the fight against corruption but will cancel out the results we’ve achieved so far and make the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy harder,” Barać said.

She said that the Council had sent a motion calling for the withdrawal of the draft law from parliamentary procedure to President Boris Tadić, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković, Speaker Slavica Đukić Dejanović and Justice Minister Snežana Malović.

Barać said that Serbia already had anti-corruption bodies, but that they lacked adequate working conditions and their experiences had not been used when drawing up the new law.

"The essential issue of the fight against corruption in Serbia is the disregard of laws that already exist,” read a Council statement.

Barać emphasized that without safe and efficient institutions, the laws, however good they were, could not be applied, adding that “frequent changes of the law will not contribute to the fight against corruption.”

The Board for Prevention of Conflicts of Interest was formed three years ago, she said, adding that once it was proved to be working effectively it was planned to merged it with the future Agency.

"The State Audit Institute, which was established one year ago, has only just been provided with premises,” Barać said, adding that at that pace it would be another year before it had staff capable of performing its basic function.

The Council objects to the draft because it states that the Agency will control the financing of political parties, but does not state the ways that that will be carried out.

A proposal that state officials who fail to report their property should be sentenced to up to five years in prison is inappropriate because such cases do not pose a public threat, and should be treated as misdemeanors.

The Anti-Corruption Agency will, if the draft is adopted, have jurisdiction in the prevention of conflicts of interest, keeping a register of state officials and their property, controlling the financing of political parties, and in international cooperation in the fight against corruption.

The Agency would have a director and a nine-member board elected by parliament.