“Insults part and parcel of political life”

MPs have told B92 that insults from the parliamentary podium are part of normal, everyday political battle. By all appearances, it will be some time yet before insults, swearing and discrimination are banished from the Serbian parliament. One of the most recent cases, in which MP Velimir Ilic racially insulted Minister Rasim Ljajic, is unlikely to even reach the Parliamentary Administrative Committee. “Insults part and parcel of political life” League of Vojvodina Social Democrats leader Nenad Canak, who was removed from a parliamentary session after calling Ilic a “tosser”, nevertheless believes that insults and swearing have no place in the country’s institutions. Administrative Committee Chairman Ivan Konstantinovic, speaking of the Ilic-Ljajic incident, said that MPs could not be prosecuted for things said in parliament, and that the Committee had no power to react either as it lacked the legal authority. Democratic Party of Serbia official Milos Aligrudic said that “interesting talk”, as he put it, was a feature of parliaments around the world. Konstantinovic said that measures had been taken against 28 MPs for such incidents last year. Some EUR 1,200 was collected from fines related to such incidents, which was given to charity. In the first two months of this year alone, 24 fines have been dished out in parliament already. (Beta archive)

“Insults part and parcel of political life”

League of Vojvodina Social Democrats leader Nenad Čanak, who was removed from a parliamentary session after calling Ilić a “tosser”, nevertheless believes that insults and swearing have no place in the country’s institutions.

Administrative Committee Chairman Ivan Konstantinović, speaking of the Ilić-Ljajić incident, said that MPs could not be prosecuted for things said in parliament, and that the Committee had no power to react either as it lacked the legal authority.

Democratic Party of Serbia official Miloš Aligrudić said that “interesting talk”, as he put it, was a feature of parliaments around the world.

Konstantinović said that measures had been taken against 28 MPs for such incidents last year.

Some EUR 1,200 was collected from fines related to such incidents, which was given to charity. In the first two months of this year alone, 24 fines have been dished out in parliament already.