The Parliamentary Administrative Committee did not support the proposal that one of the members of the State Election Commission (SEC) from the ranks of the opposition should be from the Bosniak Party or the Civic Movement URA.
Marko Jokić was unanimously elected as an adviser to the Vice President of the Assembly, Boris Pejović.
The course of the session
At the session of the Administrative Board, the election of nine members of the SEC was discussed, as well as the appointment of an adviser to the Vice-President of the Parliament.
Chairperson Jelena Nedović reminded that the session was postponed several times and that the Committee invited the parliamentary parties to propose members and deputy members of the SEC.
Nedović pointed out that the Board repeatedly appealed to the President of the Assembly, the collegium and all members to resolve the legal gaps, and "today's vote will tell whether an agreement has been reached."
"The PES club of deputies proposed Radisav Drobnjak and Marko Šljukić as members, and Jovan Milić and Predrag Kovačević as deputy members. The club of New Serbian Democracy (NSD) deputies proposed Velj Čađenović as a member, and the club of deputies of the Democratic People's Party (DNP) Miloš Giljen as deputy member, Velizar Kaluđerović as deputy member, Vera Mijatović and Nataša Pešić as members, and Pešić as secretary The Social Democrats (SD) nominated Aleksandar Jovićević as a member, the Bosniak Party (BS) nominated Haris Mekić and Amer Dacić as a deputy, and the Civic Movement (GP) nominated URA Hats off to Ljiljana Jokić as a member, and Anton Ljuljđuraj's Albanian Forum," Nedović enumerated.
Ana Novaković Đurović (URA) reminded that the previous session was interrupted until an agreement was reached and this issue was actualized. She said that her party believes that it has the right to a board member as an opposition party that has four deputies.
Nedović replied that in the current convocation of the SEC, Movement for Change (PzP) has a member, and PES does not.
Novaković Đurović pointed out that the current proposal to have a member from GP URA instead of a member from BS, which in her opinion, is legally unfounded.
Damir Gutić (BS) said that the previous session was interrupted by the majority, and that his party should have one member as the second strongest opposition party, and one deputy as the strongest minority party.
He pointed out that, even if the Administrative Board votes for a member from BS, he is not satisfied, because it is not something that the Board gives them, but something that follows them by law.
Nedović explained that there is no dispute about three of the four seats that belong to the opposition, but that there are certain disagreements as to who belongs to the fourth - GP URA or BS.
SNP and DNP against Pešić
SNP MP Bogdan Božović said that his party, in order to be constructive, changed its proposal for a member of the MEC due to the objection of the DPS, and that today the proposal of the DPS is Nataša Pešić, who there are doubts that she was brought to the SEC to be declared the results of the parliamentary elections in 2016, and that because of this he will abstain from voting for the list of members.
Speaking about the proposal that one member from the ranks of the opposition should be from BS, Vladislav Bojović (DNP) assessed that it is important to ensure full representativeness, and that it is not in accordance with the fact that GP URA does not have a single representative, and that some subjects with fewer deputies have both member and deputy, and that because of that he will vote for the GP URA to have a member, but also added that he will not vote for the combined list because of Nataša Pešić.
Simonida Kordić (NSD) explained that the problem is that the law stipulates that members are delegated by a list, and that URA was on the list with the party that is in power today.
"BS derives the right to a member on two grounds - as the second strongest opposition party and as a minority party," Kordić said, adding that the party passed the three percent threshold and did not enter parliament due to the minority key.
Nevertheless, she pointed out that it is difficult to attack the right of BS to have a member as the second strongest opposition party, but also that they could not know before the election what result they would achieve.
Mihailo Anđušić (DPS) said that he would never vote against the list on which his party's proposal is included.
He pointed out that the problem could have been solved by a "gentleman's agreement" between the Democrats and the GP URA, that they, as a coalition with the SD, agreed immediately, but also that they would abstain when voting for the controversial member from the opposition.
Duško Stjepović (Demorkate) assessed that the situation is not the same as with DPS and SD, because it could happen that a member is from the government, and the deputy from the ranks of the opposition, and that it is therefore impossible to make this type of agreement.
Gutić said that it is not clear to him why the dilemma of URA or BS was put, and not, say, URA or DPS.
Novaković Đurović pointed out that even at the previous session, no deadline was set by which an agreement must be reached.
Boris Mugoša said that the basic text of the law is from 1998, and that it is high time to adopt a new one.
He explained that it is for the reason that lists, not parties, choose members, but also that two lawyers gave him two interpretations of the issue, and that out of respect for his colleagues from BS and GP URA, he cannot take the position that the approach is correct.
Nikola Camaj (AF) said that the law is on the side of BS, and that they have no right to interfere with the proposals of other newspapers.
Stjepović assessed that it is legally impossible to make an agreement because, in this way, a member from the ranks of the government would have a deputy from the ranks of the opposition.
Novaković Đurović replied that they are not looking for a member on the basis of goodwill, but on the basis of the law.
For the proposal that a member from the opposition should be from BS, five MPs voted in favor, three and four abstained, which was not enough.
When it comes to the proposal that the candidate from the opposition quota be from the URA GP, three MPs voted for it, four were against it, and four abstained.
Gutić commented that the draft on which to vote whether the member would be from BS or GP URA was wrong, but also added that today's vote was "legal violence".
Nedović stated that no compromise was found, and that it is unacceptable that PES does not have a member in the SEC. She said that it is unacceptable for her that someone votes against the combined list because of a member of another party.
Božović replied that the rules of procedure allow him to abstain, and that he never hid how the SNP would vote.
The second item that was voted on was Marko Jokić's proposal to be the adviser to the Vice President of the Assembly, Boris Pejović. That item was adopted unanimously.
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