Government sticks to its new draft law

Traditional churches in Serbia are still unhappy after the government changed its draft Anti-Discrimination Law. A joint statement of the churches, signed by Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) Bishop Irinej, says that the government only partially improved this legislation, adopted on Friday and sent to parliament for a debate. Government sticks to its new draft law Criticizing the new text, which they say seriously digresses from international standards and would lead to hard conflicts in society, the churches are proposing new changes. But Mirko Cvetkovic's cabinet says they will not make any new amendments to the draft. The SPC, the Catholic Church, and the Islamic Community of Serbia, all posted the document on their websites. They are now asking that articles 18 and 21 be essentially changed rather than altogether removed. One of the changes that the churches propose is that the definition that "everyone has the right to their sexual orientations", be dropped from the text. Unlike the previous time they intervened, the churches now let the media know what the essence of their demands is. Catholic Church Monsignor Andrija Kopilovic told B92 that the number of demands has now been narrowed, and adds that there was unnecessary commotion so far, since the churches were never against an anti-discrimination law. "The churches and religious communities are still asking the government to revise the law in those important two points," he said. "We want talks, we want to understand, we want peaceful solutions, not bickering and fights, not in parliament, not in the government, to help achieve those standards that are accepted in the European Union and the world," said Kopilovic. "Clearly we have no mechanisms of force. We are offering dialogue and nothing else," the monsignor concluded. But State Secretary with the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights Marko Karadzic told B92 that the government sees the draft adopted on Friday as final. Karadzic also confirmed that there will be a sufficient number of MP votes in parliament to adopt the draft in its current form.

Government sticks to its new draft law

Criticizing the new text, which they say seriously digresses from international standards and would lead to hard conflicts in society, the churches are proposing new changes.

But Mirko Cvetković's cabinet says they will not make any new amendments to the draft.

The SPC, the Catholic Church, and the Islamic Community of Serbia, all posted the document on their websites. They are now asking that articles 18 and 21 be essentially changed rather than altogether removed.

One of the changes that the churches propose is that the definition that "everyone has the right to their sexual orientations", be dropped from the text.

Unlike the previous time they intervened, the churches now let the media know what the essence of their demands is.

Catholic Church Monsignor Andrija Kopilović told B92 that the number of demands has now been narrowed, and adds that there was unnecessary commotion so far, since the churches were never against an anti-discrimination law.

"The churches and religious communities are still asking the government to revise the law in those important two points," he said.

"We want talks, we want to understand, we want peaceful solutions, not bickering and fights, not in parliament, not in the government, to help achieve those standards that are accepted in the European Union and the world," said Kopilović.

"Clearly we have no mechanisms of force. We are offering dialogue and nothing else," the monsignor concluded.

But State Secretary with the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights Marko Karadžić told B92 that the government sees the draft adopted on Friday as final.

Karadžić also confirmed that there will be a sufficient number of MP votes in parliament to adopt the draft in its current form.