Debate steers from budget to Preševo raids

The Serbian parliament met in Belgrade this morning to continue its debate on the 2009 budget draft. But instead of the scheduled discussion on the amendments submitted to the proposal, MPs are debating yesterday's war crimes arrests of former KLA members in Presevo. Debate steers from budget to Presevo raids Gordana Comic, DS, who is presiding over the session, said that parliament would ask the authorities to submit a report on whether "any overstepping of authority took place during the police operation". MUP officers on Friday arrested ten persons suspected of torture and killing of Serbs and other non-Albanians in the region of Gnjilane after the 1999 war in Kosovo. Comic's reaction came after Albanian Coalition MP Riza Halimi asked "what the government plans to do about the overstepping of official powers of MUP members" during the operation in Presevo. He said that, according to eyewitnesses and video footage, "police stormed houses and arrested innocent citizens". "If this is about war crimes, that's a serious matter and there is no need for politicizing and media spectacles. The guilty parties must be brought to justice, but citizens should not be arrested in this way," said Halimi. Tomislav Nikolic, SNS, reacted to this by telling Halimi that he "cannot protect war criminals". "If it's true what the state is saying, those arrested are terrorists, and there's no mercy there, whether it's about Serbs or Albanians, and there is no country that would arrest [them] gently," he said. Nikolic added that police made video footage of their raids precisely to avoid subsequent complaints about human rights violations. "I have asked about the overstepping of powers over innocent people, blue from the beating, not about those who committed war crimes, since those must be held responsible," said Halimi. Branko Ruzic, SPS, joined this debate to say that the government's job is to fight crime. "A serious government and its organs will not arrest anyone without sufficient evidence, and now that this evidence has been gathered, they were arrested," said Ruzic, and added that the officers video taped the raids to prevents complaints that excessive force was used. As for the item on the agenda of today's session – the budget debate – opposition MPs protested the fact that parliament will work this weekend, and accused the ruling parties of leaving the budget to be adopted at the eleventh hour. But Dragan Todorovic, SRS, said lawmakers from his party will work today and on Sunday, to avoid accusations of obstruction. Todorovic also asked from the parliamentary rostrum whether criminal charges were brought against persons responsible for the death of party activist Ranko Panic, who died after he was injured in a protest rally last summer. He also once again leveled strong criticism at British Ambassador Stephen Wordsworth over his comments regarding the work of Serbia's parliament. Wordsworth recently said that "it should be taken into account how legislative activities and integration process is taking place in Serbia", and that "there was an ambitious plan to adopt 51 laws from the European agenda this year, but that only nine were passed so far due to SRS-DSS tactics", and that "this must be solved". Opposition MPs have yesterday asked for the projected budget deficit in the draft they were debating to be decreased, and for the government to start with its austerity measures within its own ranks. The budget proposal, that envisages RSD 698.7bn of income, RSD 748.3bn of spending and a deficit of RSD 49.6bn, has seen 248 amendments submitted. The government accepted 13, while MPs on Friday went through a further 14 amendments from the list. Tomislav Nikolic, Jorgovanka Tabakovic, both SNS, in parliament today (FoNet)

Debate steers from budget to Preševo raids

Gordana Čomić, DS, who is presiding over the session, said that parliament would ask the authorities to submit a report on whether "any overstepping of authority took place during the police operation".

MUP officers on Friday arrested ten persons suspected of torture and killing of Serbs and other non-Albanians in the region of Gnjilane after the 1999 war in Kosovo.

Čomić's reaction came after Albanian Coalition MP Riza Halimi asked "what the government plans to do about the overstepping of official powers of MUP members" during the operation in Preševo.

He said that, according to eyewitnesses and video footage, "police stormed houses and arrested innocent citizens".

"If this is about war crimes, that's a serious matter and there is no need for politicizing and media spectacles. The guilty parties must be brought to justice, but citizens should not be arrested in this way," said Halimi.

Tomislav Nikolić, SNS, reacted to this by telling Halimi that he "cannot protect war criminals".

"If it's true what the state is saying, those arrested are terrorists, and there's no mercy there, whether it's about Serbs or Albanians, and there is no country that would arrest [them] gently," he said.

Nikolić added that police made video footage of their raids precisely to avoid subsequent complaints about human rights violations.

"I have asked about the overstepping of powers over innocent people, blue from the beating, not about those who committed war crimes, since those must be held responsible," said Halimi.

Branko Ružić, SPS, joined this debate to say that the government's job is to fight crime.

"A serious government and its organs will not arrest anyone without sufficient evidence, and now that this evidence has been gathered, they were arrested," said Ružić, and added that the officers video taped the raids to prevents complaints that excessive force was used.

As for the item on the agenda of today's session – the budget debate – opposition MPs protested the fact that parliament will work this weekend, and accused the ruling parties of leaving the budget to be adopted at the eleventh hour.

But Dragan Todorović, SRS, said lawmakers from his party will work today and on Sunday, to avoid accusations of obstruction.

Todorović also asked from the parliamentary rostrum whether criminal charges were brought against persons responsible for the death of party activist Ranko Panić, who died after he was injured in a protest rally last summer.

He also once again leveled strong criticism at British Ambassador Stephen Wordsworth over his comments regarding the work of Serbia's parliament.

Wordsworth recently said that "it should be taken into account how legislative activities and integration process is taking place in Serbia", and that "there was an ambitious plan to adopt 51 laws from the European agenda this year, but that only nine were passed so far due to SRS-DSS tactics", and that "this must be solved".

Opposition MPs have yesterday asked for the projected budget deficit in the draft they were debating to be decreased, and for the government to start with its austerity measures within its own ranks.

The budget proposal, that envisages RSD 698.7bn of income, RSD 748.3bn of spending and a deficit of RSD 49.6bn, has seen 248 amendments submitted.

The government accepted 13, while MPs on Friday went through a further 14 amendments from the list.