Parliament debate on SRS resolution adjourned

Oliver Dulic adjourned today’s parliamentary session after the government remained quiet on the new SRS proposal. The parliamentary speaker said that MPs would be informed of the ruling coalition’s thoughts on the Serb Radical Party’s (SRS) proposed resolution for protecting the integrity and sovereignty of Serbia in relations with international organizations, specifically the European Union. Parliament debate on SRS resolution adjourned Earlier, the parliament agreed to use the first regular session to include the proposed resolution. 133 MPs voted for the proposal, 32 opposed it, and 37 abstained. While confirming the day’s schedule, MPs accepted SRS deputy leader Tomislav Nikolic’s proposal for the resolution be the first item on the agenda. Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) officials stated that the party would support the proposal, which states that Serbia can only become a part of the EU with Kosovo as a constituent part of its territory. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party (DS) and G17 Plus stressed that such a resolution was damaging for Serbia and relations within the ruling coalition. President Boris Tadic told the FoNet news agency that the SRS resolution was not about preserving Serbia’s integrity or aimed at defending Kosovo, rather it had the goal of impeding further negotiations with the EU. DSS spokesperson Andrija Mladenovic said that his party would vote for the resolution. Mladenovic told the Beta news agency that the resolution confirmed current official policy that Kosovo was Serbia and that Serbia could only continue European integration with the province as a constituent part.. Dulic told B92 that the DSS’s support for the resolution was an attempt to create a new majority within parliament. If Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica’s party votes for the resolution, it would represent a new parliamentary majority which would have to function as the new ruling coalition. “We have a new reality at this moment in time, one public announcement that the DSS and SPS could support an SRS proposal, which was not agreed upon by any other parties, especially not the parties of the ruling coalition. This is an obvious attempt to create a new majority within parliament, and it is untenable to have one majority in the government and another majority in parliament—that is impossible,” the parliamentary speaker said. He added that since the SRS, DSS and SPS had a majority, the resolution would be the first issue on the parliamentary agenda, but said that it would be voted on once the remaining 34 issues had been discussed. Oliver Dulic (FoNet, archive) Radicals to motion for Dulic's dismissal The Serb Radical Party (SRS) will today table a motion for the dismissal of Parliamentary Speaker Oliver Dulic, SRS deputy leader Tomislav Nikolic said today. He explained to reporters that the parliament was supposed to discuss today a draft resolution on relations with international organizations, primarily the European Union, tabled by the SRS and that such a debate did not require the opinion of the government. According to Nikolic, Dulic had thus shown that he was ready to boycott the parliament’s work and that the parliament did not need such a speaker. "We shall table our proposal today for Dulic's dismissal. I proved to him that a debate had to be held, that the government’s opinion was not necessary. The public knows that the government will never reach an agreement on this," said the SRS deputy leader. He said that he found it incomprehensible that the Democratic Party (DS) had not made its position that the resolution was damaging and aimed against the EU clear during the debate. Nikolic said that this was nothing more than dodging the issue, causing an even greater crisis and “goading“ the Radicals. “A government that stops parliament’s work wants to run Serbia undemocratically. We were ready for a debate, to prove that the resolution was in keeping with the Constitution and with all the resolutions we’ve passed thus far, and that we have only one small condition,“ explained the SRS deputy leader. Asked whether the Democratic Party of Serbia supported the Radicals’ motion for Dulic’s dismissal, he replied that he had not spoken with anyone about this, and that he had taken that decision the very moment Dulic adjourned the session.

Parliament debate on SRS resolution adjourned

Earlier, the parliament agreed to use the first regular session to include the proposed resolution.

133 MPs voted for the proposal, 32 opposed it, and 37 abstained.

While confirming the day’s schedule, MPs accepted SRS deputy leader Tomislav Nikolić’s proposal for the resolution be the first item on the agenda.
Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) officials stated that the party would support the proposal, which states that Serbia can only become a part of the EU with Kosovo as a constituent part of its territory.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party (DS) and G17 Plus stressed that such a resolution was damaging for Serbia and relations within the ruling coalition.

President Boris Tadić told the FoNet news agency that the SRS resolution was not about preserving Serbia’s integrity or aimed at defending Kosovo, rather it had the goal of impeding further negotiations with the EU.

DSS spokesperson Andrija Mladenović said that his party would vote for the resolution.

Mladenović told the Beta news agency that the resolution confirmed current official policy that Kosovo was Serbia and that Serbia could only continue European integration with the province as a constituent part..

Dulić told B92 that the DSS’s support for the resolution was an attempt to create a new majority within parliament.

If Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica’s party votes for the resolution, it would represent a new parliamentary majority which would have to function as the new ruling coalition.

“We have a new reality at this moment in time, one public announcement that the DSS and SPS could support an SRS proposal, which was not agreed upon by any other parties, especially not the parties of the ruling coalition. This is an obvious attempt to create a new majority within parliament, and it is untenable to have one majority in the government and another majority in parliament—that is impossible,” the parliamentary speaker said.

He added that since the SRS, DSS and SPS had a majority, the resolution would be the first issue on the parliamentary agenda, but said that it would be voted on once the remaining 34 issues had been discussed.

Radicals to motion for Dulić's dismissal

The Serb Radical Party (SRS) will today table a motion for the dismissal of Parliamentary Speaker Oliver Dulić, SRS deputy leader Tomislav Nikolić said today.

He explained to reporters that the parliament was supposed to discuss today a draft resolution on relations with international organizations, primarily the European Union, tabled by the SRS and that such a debate did not require the opinion of the government.

According to Nikolić, Dulić had thus shown that he was ready to boycott the parliament’s work and that the parliament did not need such a speaker.

"We shall table our proposal today for Dulic's dismissal. I proved to him that a debate had to be held, that the government’s opinion was not necessary. The public knows that the government will never reach an agreement on this," said the SRS deputy leader.

He said that he found it incomprehensible that the Democratic Party (DS) had not made its position that the resolution was damaging and aimed against the EU clear during the debate.

Nikolić said that this was nothing more than dodging the issue, causing an even greater crisis and “goading“ the Radicals.

“A government that stops parliament’s work wants to run Serbia undemocratically. We were ready for a debate, to prove that the resolution was in keeping with the Constitution and with all the resolutions we’ve passed thus far, and that we have only one small condition,“ explained the SRS deputy leader.

Asked whether the Democratic Party of Serbia supported the Radicals’ motion for Dulić’s dismissal, he replied that he had not spoken with anyone about this, and that he had taken that decision the very moment Dulić adjourned the session.