Coalition makes no elections date headway

The leaders of the ruling coalition parties did not meet Thursday as announced earlier. Boris Tadic (DS), Vojislav Kostunica (DSS) and Mladjan Dinkic (G17 Plius) were to discuss an agreement on the scheduling of presidential elections. Coalition makes no elections date headway The DSS-NS caucus once again requested Speaker Oliver Dulic, a Democrat, to schedule a session of the Committee for Constitutional Issues, to consider the conditions necessary for the scheduling of the vote. In a letter they sent to Dulic, the caucus said that it believed the relevant parliamentary committee is the only body with the legitimacy to interpret the implementation of norms of the Constitutional Law, and that they were not contesting the clear jurisdiction of the Constitutional Court, the forming of which they also expected. Dulic, who is also the chairman of the committee, did not schedule the session, but called on the government and parties to do "everything they can in order for the Constitutional Court to be formed as soon as possible, to clarify the disagreements over the elections." Meanwhile, Tadic's office announced that the presidential ballot must be called by December 31 this year, even without the passing of laws prescribed by the Constitutional Law, i.e. in accordance with the regulations that are in effect. The office's opinion, which Beta news agency reported late Thursday, is that the interpretation according to which the presidential elections can only be scheduled after the passing of the laws on the president of the Republic, defense and the Serbian Army, foreign affairs and security services - is wrong and in complete discord with the Constitutional Law. If the Parliament does not pass the said laws, presidential elections will be held according to the existing law, which is in accord with the Constitution and the Constitutional Law, Tadic's cabinet believes. "In case Parliament does not adopt the said laws, the newly elected president of the Republic would exercise his constitutional authority through the implementation of the current laws: the Law on the military, the Law on defense, the Law on special rights and obligations of the president of the Republic, the Law on security services, etc., in the measure in which these laws are in accord with the new Constitution," the experts of the president's office stated. It was added that this was nothing unusual, considering that the president is successfully exercising his constitutional authority at this time, through the implementation of these and other current laws. The Constitution and the Constitutional Law for the implementation of the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia must be respected as the highest legal acts of the state, the president's legal team pointed out. They explained that this meant that the speaker has to schedule presidential elections not later than Dec. 31, 2007, in keeping with provisions of Article 3, paragraph 2 of the Constitutional Law.

Coalition makes no elections date headway

The DSS-NS caucus once again requested Speaker Oliver Dulić, a Democrat, to schedule a session of the Committee for Constitutional Issues, to consider the conditions necessary for the scheduling of the vote.

In a letter they sent to Dulić, the caucus said that it believed the relevant parliamentary committee is the only body with the legitimacy to interpret the implementation of norms of the Constitutional Law, and that they were not contesting the clear jurisdiction of the Constitutional Court, the forming of which they also expected.

Dulić, who is also the chairman of the committee, did not schedule the session, but called on the government and parties to do "everything they can in order for the Constitutional Court to be formed as soon as possible, to clarify the disagreements over the elections."

Meanwhile, Tadić's office announced that the presidential ballot must be called by December 31 this year, even without the passing of laws prescribed by the Constitutional Law, i.e. in accordance with the regulations that are in effect.

The office's opinion, which Beta news agency reported late Thursday, is that the interpretation according to which the presidential elections can only be scheduled after the passing of the laws on the president of the Republic, defense and the Serbian Army, foreign affairs and security services - is wrong and in complete discord with the Constitutional Law.

If the Parliament does not pass the said laws, presidential elections will be held according to the existing law, which is in accord with the Constitution and the Constitutional Law, Tadić's cabinet believes.

"In case Parliament does not adopt the said laws, the newly elected president of the Republic would exercise his constitutional authority through the implementation of the current laws: the Law on the military, the Law on defense, the Law on special rights and obligations of the president of the Republic, the Law on security services, etc., in the measure in which these laws are in accord with the new Constitution," the experts of the president's office stated.

It was added that this was nothing unusual, considering that the president is successfully exercising his constitutional authority at this time, through the implementation of these and other current laws.

The Constitution and the Constitutional Law for the implementation of the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia must be respected as the highest legal acts of the state, the president's legal team pointed out.

They explained that this meant that the speaker has to schedule presidential elections not later than Dec. 31, 2007, in keeping with provisions of Article 3, paragraph 2 of the Constitutional Law.