"Democratization still far from satisfactory"

OSCE mission chief to Belgrade says Serbia has a chance to start building democratic institutions, given the progress made in the area in the past 8 years. Noting that Serbia still had much more to do to build democracy and that there was not much cause for satisfaction among ordinary citizens, Hans Ola Urstad said that Serbia was, in fact, facing problems that were typical for all young democracies. "Democratization still far from satisfactory" “First of all, there is the problem of corruption. Much greater transparency is needed and conditions must be created for citizens to play a greater role in the work of institutions, and this depends on the professional competence of local self-government organs," Urstad told a conference in Belgrade entitled "Strengthening Serbia's European Perspective," organized by the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence. As other weaknesses of Serbian society, he cited the inefficiency in the work of the parliament and government, as borne out by the very slow process of adoption of numerous laws, he observed. Meanwhile, Urstad commended the government's decision to create an accounting body responsible for overseeing the funding of political parties, while the country’s highest judicial bodies came in for praise. The OSCE mission head said that Serbia faced major judicial reform that should facilitate court independence and increase the professionalism of judicial personnel.

"Democratization still far from satisfactory"

“First of all, there is the problem of corruption. Much greater transparency is needed and conditions must be created for citizens to play a greater role in the work of institutions, and this depends on the professional competence of local self-government organs," Urstad told a conference in Belgrade entitled "Strengthening Serbia's European Perspective," organized by the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence.

As other weaknesses of Serbian society, he cited the inefficiency in the work of the parliament and government, as borne out by the very slow process of adoption of numerous laws, he observed.

Meanwhile, Urstad commended the government's decision to create an accounting body responsible for overseeing the funding of political parties, while the country’s highest judicial bodies came in for praise.

The OSCE mission head said that Serbia faced major judicial reform that should facilitate court independence and increase the professionalism of judicial personnel.