The Legislative Committee has postponed its vote on the Bill on Amendments to the Law on Public Gatherings and Public Events until "the text of the law is clarified, as there are certain uncertainties in certain articles."
This was announced by President Dragan Bojović at a session of that working body, which was not attended by opposition representatives.
"After the consultations we have had now, we have agreed to further specify the text of the law and harmonize it through amendment work, through the report of the Legislative Committee. As soon as the amendments and additional clarifications are prepared, we will hold or continue the session regarding this agenda item," said Bojović.
The proposed amendments to the Law on Public Gatherings and Public Events, proposed by the ruling majority MPs, prohibit the blockade of highways, expressways, main, regional or local roads and border crossings if those protesting thereby prevent or hinder traffic and the movement of other citizens.
Fines ranging from 500 to 10.000 euros are foreseen for those who fail to comply.
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The proposal for amending the regulations is signed by Seid Hodžić from the Europe Now Movement list, Duško Stjepović (Democrats), Jelena Kljajević (DNP), Dejan Đurović (NSD) and Bogdan Božović (SNP).
Europe Now Movement MP Darko Dragović said during the debate that he had "certain reservations" about the proposed solution, regardless of the good intentions.
He pointed out that Article 52 of the Constitution clearly defines that freedom of peaceful assembly is guaranteed without permission, with prior notification to the competent authorities. He pointed out that the Constitution also defines the possibility of restricting freedom of assembly, so it can be temporarily restricted.
"The Constitution defines the possibility of temporary, not permanent, restrictions, and therefore, in each specific case, a decision by state authorities is necessary. The way this bill is proposed, we are introducing a kind of permanent ban on gatherings on highways, expressways, main and regional roads, which is not in accordance with the Constitution," said Dragović.
He pointed out that the procedure and the competent authority that should determine whether the gathering would prevent or hinder the flow of traffic, or whether the public gathering would limit, prevent and endanger the movement of citizens, as a condition that highways, roads, and traffic routes cannot be used for the public gathering, have not been defined.
"If we do not define which body is competent to make a decision on the ban, if we do not define the procedure in which the competent body can make a decision on the ban, defined like this... the ban on assembly is permanent, and the Constitution is clear that freedom of assembly can be temporarily restricted."
He pointed out that the bill should be amended and made more precise, and that local roads should be exempt from the ban.
Democratic MP Duško Stjepčević said that he somewhat agreed with Dragović's remarks regarding the temporary restriction, and that he was not against amending the text of the law.
"But we don't have that temporary restriction through these regulations here... For the sake of precision, that protest must not violate the rights of other people."
The Committee for Political System, Judiciary and Administration also postponed this item for the first subsequent session of the Committee, "for technical reasons".
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