MPs adopt changes to media law

MPs have adopted the draft changes to the public information law, and will vote on a further 23 draft bills today. The ruling coalition was helped by the votes of Liberal Democratic Party MPs. MPs adopt changes to media law The amendments to the law were adopted by 125 votes of the 225 MPs in attendance, after an amendment from the Radicals was adopted, abolishing both the mandatory deposit for establishing a media company and the ban on media work if a company’s account is blocked for over 90 days. Although one section of the ruling coalition--the Socialist party of Serbia (SPS)--abstained, a majority was ensured with the votes of LDP members. The bill was supported by the Democratic Party, G17 Plus, the Pensioners' Party, the minority parties, the LDP and independent MPs Vladan Batic and Jovan Damjanovic. The changes to this law have been at the heart of a heated public debate over the last month and a half, exposing divisions between the parties in government. The Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) abstained during the cabinet vote, while United Serbia voted against. The Democratic Party (DS) and G17 Plus sought support from the Liberal Demoratic Party in a desperate late bid to push the law through. Following the adoption in principle of the bill, Serb Progressive Party MPs walked out of the parliamentary chamber because, as party leader Tomislav Nikolic explained, they "don't want to participate in the enactment of a poor law." "We took part in the vote, we tried to beat it, we failed, that's why we left the chamber. Only those that are helping push the law through should stay in the chamber, and that's those who are voting 'for', those abstaining, or those who are in the chamber but who didn't vote," he said. Democratic Party of Serbia spokesman Andreja Mladenovic said that the adoption of the amendments to the law were a very bad decision by the authorities and would aggravate the situation in Serbia. Mladenovic said that the bulk of the responsibility for this would be borne by the Democratic Party and President Boris Tadic, “as someone who is trying hard to be the ruler of everything that’s going on in the country.“ “Adoption of the amendments to the law is a particularly bad decision by the current powers-that-be that will compound the situation in the country. Repressive measures don’t benefit anyone, particularly not the current authorities,“ he said, adding that things would become increasingly harder in Serbia, which, in turn, would hasten the government’s demise. Dragan Todorovic of the Serb Radical Party said that the Parliamentary Code of Procedure had been breached “in the most brutal manner“ at the start of today’s session, when he had been prohibited from proposing that MPs should vote orally on the public information bill. Speaker Slavica Djukic Dejanovic said earlier that the law had not divided the ruling coalition and that there had never been any sense of crisis. “The SPS abstained. That’s a position we’ve already stated and outlined on a number of occasions,” she says. “However, various political structures and parties will champion the positions of their MP clubs. Whether the law will be passed, we’ll see,” the speaker says. “Could it have split the government, has it split the government, they’re questions that the media has speculated over at some length. I don’t think the government was in crisis at any moment,” said Djukic-Dejanovic. Due to the large number of laws on the agenda, today’s session is likely to run between seven and nine hours, said the speaker. MPs, reporters in parliament today (Tanjug) Journalists' association protests law The Serbian Association of Journalists (UNS) staged a protest on Monday outside the National Parliament, urging MPs not to vote for the proposed changes to the Law on Public Information, describing them as anti-European and unconstitutional. UNS representatives submitted a petition with the signatures of more than 600 journalists to parliament, voicing their opposition to the proposed legislation. UNS President Ljiljana Smajlovic underscored that "no-one asked journalists anything about this law." “The public debate was delayed but it managed to demonstrate that European institutions, domestic media and legal experts all agree with UNS’ view that the proposed law is anti-European, unconstitutional, and undemocratic," she said. “UNS believes that the law will swiftly close down the media,“ Smajlovic said. “UNS representatives are protesting outside the national parliament so that MPs can see for themselves that journalists fully support their position and that the adoption of this legislation will violate freedom of expression in Serbia,“ she pointed out. “In the event that the proposed changes are adopted, UNS will address President Boris Tadic and ask him not to sign the law, the Constitutional Court to evaluate the constitutionality of that law, and then it will address the European Court of Human Rights based in Strasbourg,“ Smajlovic warned.

MPs adopt changes to media law

The amendments to the law were adopted by 125 votes of the 225 MPs in attendance, after an amendment from the Radicals was adopted, abolishing both the mandatory deposit for establishing a media company and the ban on media work if a company’s account is blocked for over 90 days.

Although one section of the ruling coalition--the Socialist party of Serbia (SPS)--abstained, a majority was ensured with the votes of LDP members.

The bill was supported by the Democratic Party, G17 Plus, the Pensioners' Party, the minority parties, the LDP and independent MPs Vladan Batić and Jovan Damjanović.

The changes to this law have been at the heart of a heated public debate over the last month and a half, exposing divisions between the parties in government.

The Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) abstained during the cabinet vote, while United Serbia voted against.

The Democratic Party (DS) and G17 Plus sought support from the Liberal Demoratic Party in a desperate late bid to push the law through.

Following the adoption in principle of the bill, Serb Progressive Party MPs walked out of the parliamentary chamber because, as party leader Tomislav Nikolić explained, they "don't want to participate in the enactment of a poor law."

"We took part in the vote, we tried to beat it, we failed, that's why we left the chamber. Only those that are helping push the law through should stay in the chamber, and that's those who are voting 'for', those abstaining, or those who are in the chamber but who didn't vote," he said.

Democratic Party of Serbia spokesman Andreja Mladenović said that the adoption of the amendments to the law were a very bad decision by the authorities and would aggravate the situation in Serbia.

Mladenović said that the bulk of the responsibility for this would be borne by the Democratic Party and President Boris Tadić, “as someone who is trying hard to be the ruler of everything that’s going on in the country.“

“Adoption of the amendments to the law is a particularly bad decision by the current powers-that-be that will compound the situation in the country. Repressive measures don’t benefit anyone, particularly not the current authorities,“ he said, adding that things would become increasingly harder in Serbia, which, in turn, would hasten the government’s demise.

Dragan Todorović of the Serb Radical Party said that the Parliamentary Code of Procedure had been breached “in the most brutal manner“ at the start of today’s session, when he had been prohibited from proposing that MPs should vote orally on the public information bill.

Speaker Slavica Đukić Dejanović said earlier that the law had not divided the ruling coalition and that there had never been any sense of crisis.

“The SPS abstained. That’s a position we’ve already stated and outlined on a number of occasions,” she says.

“However, various political structures and parties will champion the positions of their MP clubs. Whether the law will be passed, we’ll see,” the speaker says.

“Could it have split the government, has it split the government, they’re questions that the media has speculated over at some length. I don’t think the government was in crisis at any moment,” said Đukić-Dejanović.

Due to the large number of laws on the agenda, today’s session is likely to run between seven and nine hours, said the speaker.

Journalists' association protests law

The Serbian Association of Journalists (UNS) staged a protest on Monday outside the National Parliament, urging MPs not to vote for the proposed changes to the Law on Public Information, describing them as anti-European and unconstitutional.

UNS representatives submitted a petition with the signatures of more than 600 journalists to parliament, voicing their opposition to the proposed legislation.

UNS President Ljiljana Smajlović underscored that "no-one asked journalists anything about this law."

“The public debate was delayed but it managed to demonstrate that European institutions, domestic media and legal experts all agree with UNS’ view that the proposed law is anti-European, unconstitutional, and undemocratic," she said.

“UNS believes that the law will swiftly close down the media,“ Smajlović said.

“UNS representatives are protesting outside the national parliament so that MPs can see for themselves that journalists fully support their position and that the adoption of this legislation will violate freedom of expression in Serbia,“ she pointed out.

“In the event that the proposed changes are adopted, UNS will address President Boris Tadić and ask him not to sign the law, the Constitutional Court to evaluate the constitutionality of that law, and then it will address the European Court of Human Rights based in Strasbourg,“ Smajlović warned.