Amendments to non-contentious matters law adopted

BELGRADE The Serbian parliament on Friday in Belgrade adopted amendments and modifications to the Law on Non-Contentious Proceedings. The legislation should allow for resolving the issue of "legally invisible persons." Amendments to non-contentious matters law adopted There are around 6,500 people in Serbia who do not possess identification documents and cannot exercise their basic human rights and freedoms. A two-day discussion on the amendments was marked by a debate between the Serb Progressive Party (SNS) and the Democratic Party (DS) on who is actually the author of the amendments, since the Democrats argued that this is a plagiarism, because they proposed the same text back in January. The SNS denied these claims, but also the ones of opposition MPs, who said that that the amendments will lead to abuse and corruption. The opposition's main complaint was that the amendments will make it possible for immigrants and people with criminal record to be registered in the birth registry, and thus get the passport and citizenship of Serbia, with just a testimony of two witnesses who might testify falsely. The parliament today released that it is restoring to the state treasury RSD 300 million that have been saved during electoral activities. The original budget of the Serbian parliament totaled around RSD 3.3 billion, and after calling parliamentary and presidential elections the parliament was granted another 600 million from the budget reserve for expenses, but not all of the money was spent, so 300 million is being returned, parliament's secretary Jana Ljubicic said. Serbian MPs today also adopted the amendments to the Notary Public Law and the implementation of the new version of the law would start as of March 1, 2013. According to original plans, the Notary Public Law was supposed to be enforced as of Saturday. Officials of the Serb Progressive Party (SNS) as the party that proposed the amendments explained that it is not possible to meet the conditions for the implementation of the law by the originally envisaged deadline because the first 100 public servants have not been appointed yet nor has the Notary Public Chamber been set up which should adopt the necessary bills. Parliament ended its seventh extraordinary sitting on Friday, and, according to Parliament Speaker Nebojsa Stefanovic, the body will resume its work in September, when draft budget review and the public procurement law should be discussed. (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

Amendments to non-contentious matters law adopted

There are around 6,500 people in Serbia who do not possess identification documents and cannot exercise their basic human rights and freedoms.

A two-day discussion on the amendments was marked by a debate between the Serb Progressive Party (SNS) and the Democratic Party (DS) on who is actually the author of the amendments, since the Democrats argued that this is a plagiarism, because they proposed the same text back in January.

The SNS denied these claims, but also the ones of opposition MPs, who said that that the amendments will lead to abuse and corruption.

The opposition's main complaint was that the amendments will make it possible for immigrants and people with criminal record to be registered in the birth registry, and thus get the passport and citizenship of Serbia, with just a testimony of two witnesses who might testify falsely.

The parliament today released that it is restoring to the state treasury RSD 300 million that have been saved during electoral activities.

The original budget of the Serbian parliament totaled around RSD 3.3 billion, and after calling parliamentary and presidential elections the parliament was granted another 600 million from the budget reserve for expenses, but not all of the money was spent, so 300 million is being returned, parliament's secretary Jana Ljubičić said.

Serbian MPs today also adopted the amendments to the Notary Public Law and the implementation of the new version of the law would start as of March 1, 2013.

According to original plans, the Notary Public Law was supposed to be enforced as of Saturday.

Officials of the Serb Progressive Party (SNS) as the party that proposed the amendments explained that it is not possible to meet the conditions for the implementation of the law by the originally envisaged deadline because the first 100 public servants have not been appointed yet nor has the Notary Public Chamber been set up which should adopt the necessary bills.

Parliament ended its seventh extraordinary sitting on Friday, and, according to Parliament Speaker Nebojsa Stefanović, the body will resume its work in September, when draft budget review and the public procurement law should be discussed.