MPs discuss own expenses, environment

Parliament is continuing its debate on ecology laws, though the start of the session was notable for a heated debate over MPs’ expenses. Vladan Batic of the Democratic Christian Party asked for an apology from Speaker Slavica Djukic Dejanovic after a daily newspaper published a list of MPs who had not given a part of their daily expenses to the Solidarity Fund. MPs discuss own expenses, environment He said that he set aside money for a specific family on a monthly basis, and that he did not even know about the Fund. “I pay ten of your lousy daily expenses to one family each month,” Batic said, adding that these expenses should be scrapped or given to children in care. Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Cedomir Jovanovic said that it was not up to the Administrative Committee to decide whether to pay expenses into the Solidarity Fund since this was a personal matter, adding that the LDP gave its expenses to those that needed it. Djukic Dejanovic said that she could not apologize for something that she was not even aware of. Afterwards, the debate resumed on the proposed ecology laws, including laws on nuclear security, waste management, chemical production, and stockpiling and usage of chemical weapons. The electronic system in parliament is still not up and running, so, like yesterday, a quorum was confirmed through a headcount, and MPs will speak once again from the central podium instead of from their assigned seats. (Beta) Parliament working, but problems persist Parliament has finally been able to get to work after two days of obstruction, with the draft law for the coat-of-arms, flag and national anthem on the agenda. However, Thursday did not pass off problem-free. First, the electronic system in parliament broke down, and then four Serb Radical Party (SRS) MPs were thrown out for sitting in seats assigned to the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The technical service was unable to fix the problems with the microphones, so instead of speaking from their seats, MPs had to address the chamber from the podium as was the practice in the old premises. Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) official Aleksandar Jugovic told B92 that the dispute over the seating arrangements in the chamber was absurd and that the Parliamentary Administrative Committee’s decision must be respected. “If we want to return any dignity to the parliament, we must respect its institutions. I’m not a steward, but there must be order in parliament,” Jugovic stressed. The opposition blames the ruling coalition for the problems. The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) says that the situation with the distribution of rooms given to the MP groups is just as unsatisfactory as with the parliamentary chamber itself. “The speaker has two cabinets, and the DSS MP group works in one room, with one computer and one table. These are elementary conditions, we are not looking for any fancy conditions,” DSS official Miroslav Petkovic said. On today’s agenda are debates on seven laws related to ecology and the environment, which are required for Serbia’s EU integration process. Environmental Protection and Spatial Planning Minister Oliver Dulic, presenting the laws, said that they constituted a new ecological policy for Serbia and would “substantially change the look of the country.” There are a total of 49 laws on the agenda for this parliamentary session, which got under way on March 30.

MPs discuss own expenses, environment

He said that he set aside money for a specific family on a monthly basis, and that he did not even know about the Fund.

“I pay ten of your lousy daily expenses to one family each month,” Batić said, adding that these expenses should be scrapped or given to children in care.

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Čedomir Jovanović said that it was not up to the Administrative Committee to decide whether to pay expenses into the Solidarity Fund since this was a personal matter, adding that the LDP gave its expenses to those that needed it.

Đukić Dejanović said that she could not apologize for something that she was not even aware of.

Afterwards, the debate resumed on the proposed ecology laws, including laws on nuclear security, waste management, chemical production, and stockpiling and usage of chemical weapons.

The electronic system in parliament is still not up and running, so, like yesterday, a quorum was confirmed through a headcount, and MPs will speak once again from the central podium instead of from their assigned seats.

Parliament working, but problems persist

Parliament has finally been able to get to work after two days of obstruction, with the draft law for the coat-of-arms, flag and national anthem on the agenda.

However, Thursday did not pass off problem-free. First, the electronic system in parliament broke down, and then four Serb Radical Party (SRS) MPs were thrown out for sitting in seats assigned to the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

The technical service was unable to fix the problems with the microphones, so instead of speaking from their seats, MPs had to address the chamber from the podium as was the practice in the old premises.

Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) official Aleksandar Jugović told B92 that the dispute over the seating arrangements in the chamber was absurd and that the Parliamentary Administrative Committee’s decision must be respected.

“If we want to return any dignity to the parliament, we must respect its institutions. I’m not a steward, but there must be order in parliament,” Jugović stressed.

The opposition blames the ruling coalition for the problems. The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) says that the situation with the distribution of rooms given to the MP groups is just as unsatisfactory as with the parliamentary chamber itself.

“The speaker has two cabinets, and the DSS MP group works in one room, with one computer and one table. These are elementary conditions, we are not looking for any fancy conditions,” DSS official Miroslav Petković said.

On today’s agenda are debates on seven laws related to ecology and the environment, which are required for Serbia’s EU integration process.

Environmental Protection and Spatial Planning Minister Oliver Dulić, presenting the laws, said that they constituted a new ecological policy for Serbia and would “substantially change the look of the country.”

There are a total of 49 laws on the agenda for this parliamentary session, which got under way on March 30.