Parliament: Debate strays from agenda

Parliament's fifth extraordinary session continued in Belgrade on Thursday after a recess. Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic called for a break in the meeting order to consult with party whips, after the debate strayed from the agenda, and saw the two Serb Radical Party (SRS) faction trade accusations, but also criticize a report submitted by MUP. Parliament: Debate strays from agenda Today's session was called at the request of 116 lawmakers, with the agenda including items such as appointment of new members to the Council of the National Bank of Serbia (NBS), and dismissal a number of judicial officials, among them Supreme Court Judge Ljubomir Vuckovic, who was found guilty and sentenced to several years in prison in a grafts case. But instead of debating these issues, the heads of the SRS and Forward Serbia groups, Dragan Todorovic and Tomislav Nikolic, voiced dissatisfaction with the MUP report on the demonstrations in Belgrade following the arrest of Radovan Karadzic, and requested the opening of a debate. The July 29 gathering in downtown Belgrade, organized by the Radicals, ended with police clashing with hooligans and with scores of officers and civilians injured. One SRS member, who allegedly received a blow to the stomach, died in hospital several weeks later. Today, Todorovic opened this issue at the beginning of the session claiming that the police report that "someone organized riots at the July 29 meeting, further corroborates Radicals' doubts and allegations". Nikolic called on the minister of the interior to submit a new report "which would not underestimate Serbian MPs", and to prepare himself to defend the indefensible – the police behavior. The developments and divisions in the SRS transmitted to the parliament platform on Thursday, and Todorovic appealed for resolving the issue of MP mandates. He reminded of the split in the Socialist Party of Serbia (SRS) some years ago when party official Branislav Ivkovic left, and likened this to Nikolic's move. Todorovic said that the coalition known as DOS at the time used Ivkovic to split the SRS. He also said that the choice between Vojislav Seselj and Nikolic was false. "This is a dilemma between Boris Tadic and Vojislav Seselj and things are very clear on that," Todorovic continued. He also mentioned that while local SRS mandates were being returned, those in the state parliament were divided between the party factions. Todorovic then repeated that all the mandates belong to the SRS, "and there is no doubt about it". Some SRS MPs then called Nikolic "a traitor", while he urged them not to hurl isult, and stressed he did not wish to engage in any conflict. Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) whip Milos Aligrudic also hindered the debate on the agenda items, stating that the rules of procedure were violated because a Kosovo resolution draft was not included on the agenda, while another session was not scheduled on the request of 108 MPs from the ranks of DSS, SRS and New Serbia (NS). But the ruling coalition lawmakers expressed optimism that a new session could start as soon as Friday, with the so-called Schengen laws on the agenda. Speaker \Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, second from right, is seen during today's session (FoNet)

Parliament: Debate strays from agenda

Today's session was called at the request of 116 lawmakers, with the agenda including items such as appointment of new members to the Council of the National Bank of Serbia (NBS), and dismissal a number of judicial officials, among them Supreme Court Judge Ljubomir Vučković, who was found guilty and sentenced to several years in prison in a grafts case.

But instead of debating these issues, the heads of the SRS and Forward Serbia groups, Dragan Todorović and Tomislav Nikolić, voiced dissatisfaction with the MUP report on the demonstrations in Belgrade following the arrest of Radovan Karadžić, and requested the opening of a debate.

The July 29 gathering in downtown Belgrade, organized by the Radicals, ended with police clashing with hooligans and with scores of officers and civilians injured.

One SRS member, who allegedly received a blow to the stomach, died in hospital several weeks later.

Today, Todorović opened this issue at the beginning of the session claiming that the police report that "someone organized riots at the July 29 meeting, further corroborates Radicals' doubts and allegations".

Nikolić called on the minister of the interior to submit a new report "which would not underestimate Serbian MPs", and to prepare himself to defend the indefensible – the police behavior.

The developments and divisions in the SRS transmitted to the parliament platform on Thursday, and Todorović appealed for resolving the issue of MP mandates.

He reminded of the split in the Socialist Party of Serbia (SRS) some years ago when party official Branislav Ivković left, and likened this to Nikolić's move.

Todorović said that the coalition known as DOS at the time used Ivković to split the SRS.

He also said that the choice between Vojislav Šešelj and Nikolić was false.

"This is a dilemma between Boris Tadić and Vojislav Šešelj and things are very clear on that," Todorović continued.

He also mentioned that while local SRS mandates were being returned, those in the state parliament were divided between the party factions. Todorović then repeated that all the mandates belong to the SRS, "and there is no doubt about it".

Some SRS MPs then called Nikolić "a traitor", while he urged them not to hurl isult, and stressed he did not wish to engage in any conflict.

Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) whip Milos Aligrudić also hindered the debate on the agenda items, stating that the rules of procedure were violated because a Kosovo resolution draft was not included on the agenda, while another session was not scheduled on the request of 108 MPs from the ranks of DSS, SRS and New Serbia (NS).

But the ruling coalition lawmakers expressed optimism that a new session could start as soon as Friday, with the so-called Schengen laws on the agenda.