National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia / Activities / Activity details
Monday, 26 July 2010
Sixth Extraordinary Session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in 2010
At the request of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, convened the Sixth Extraordinary Session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in 2010, for Monday, 26 July 2010, starting at 12 p. m.
At the request of the Government of the
The request to hold the extraordinary session specified the following agenda:
1. The Proposal of the Decision of the National Assembly on the Ruling of the International Court of Justice on the Legality of the Unilaterally Declared Independence by the Provisional Institutions of Kosovo-Metohija and the Continuation of the Activities of the Republic of Serbia in the Defense of the Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of the Republic of Serbia, submitted by the Government.
The Session was attended by the President of the Republic of Serbia Boris Tadic; Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic; Deputy Prime Ministers Ivica Dacic, Jovan Krkobabic, Sulejman Ugljanin and Bozidar Djelic; Government Ministers Snezana Malovic, Sasa Dragin, Petar Skundric, Slobodan Milosavljevic, Zarko Obradovic, Tomica Milosavljevic, Bogoljub Sijakovic, Srdjan Sreckovic, Vuk Jeremic, Svetozar Ciplic, Rasim Ljajic, Goran Bogdanovic, Diana Dragutinovic and Dragan Sutanovac, as well as the head of the legal team of the Republic of Serbia at the International Court of Justice in the Hague Dusan Batakovic.
After the National Assembly Speaker had opened the unified debate on the Decision Proposal, Dusan Batakovic submitted a Report to the National Assembly on the behalf of the legal team of the
The deputies were then addressed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic who stressed that at the time of the unilateral declaration of Kosovo independence the Republic of Serbia had chosen to oppose the unilateral declaration of the secession by legal, political and diplomatic means. He believes that diplomatic activity in the upcoming period will continue to be directed towards halting further recognitions of Kosovo independence, adding that
After the completion of the opening addresses, the National Assembly was addressed by the heads and authorised representatives of the Deputy Groups.
Head of the Liberal-Democratic Party Deputy Group Cedomir Jovanovic stressed that this deputy Group at the National Assembly will not endorse the Proposal of the Decision of the National Assembly on the Ruling of the International Court of Justice on the Legality of the Unilaterally Declared Independence by the Provisional Institutions of Kosovo-Metohija and the Continuation of the Activities of the Republic of Serbia in the Defense of the Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of the Republic of Serbia. He deemed this Proposal a continuation of a faulty policy adding that the responsibility for the current situation in the country as regards Kosovo-Metohija exceeds the reach of one generation and the scope of one policy. He believes that this is not the first defeat of Serbian society and said that they wish it would be the first that
Slobodan Samardzic authorised representative of the Democratic Party of Serbia-Vojislav Kostunica Deputy Group believes that the defeat suffered by the state at the International Court of Justice is not only legal, but political as well. He criticised the fact that no National Assembly sessions were convened to debate the Kosovo-Metohija policy, asking why the deputies had not been consulted when the policy was designed. He stated that the initiative to request the opinion of the International Court of Justice had not been discussed at the National Assembly either. He also criticised the Government’s Kosovo-Metohija policy talking about the real problems of the people who live at the territory, as well as the reduced budgets for the area in the past two years. He believes that the Government’s proposal to forward a resolution on Kosovo-Metohija to the UN General Assembly is a “suicide mission” adding that the UN General Assembly cannot be expected to deliver a different ruling that the International Court of Justice. He deemed this proposal a bad estimate. He said that charges should be brought against the countries which had recognised the unilaterally declared Kosovo independence, after which the National Assembly should discuss the issue thus actively pursuing the country’s policy.
Deputy head of the Socialist Party of Serbia – United Serbia Deputy Group Dragan Markovic – Palma said that the opinion of the International Court of Justice is neither a defeat not a win for Serbia as the Serbian Government had not scored any “own goals” in the case of Kosovo-Metohija. He believes that
Head of the Forward Serbia Deputy Group Tomislav Nikolic said that today was the day when responsible people should tender their resignations so that
Suzana Grubjesic, head of the G17 Plus Deputy Group stressed that the Deputy Group would endorse the Proposal of the Decision of the National Assembly on the Ruling of the International Court of Justice on the Legality of the Unilaterally Declared Independence by the Provisional Institutions of Kosovo-Metohija and the Continuation of the Activities of the Republic of Serbia in the Defense of the Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of the Republic of Serbia, submitted by the Government. She added that in the search for a compromise solution by which
Dragan Todorovic, head of the Serbian Radical Party Deputy Group commenced his address to the National Assembly by objecting to the manner in which the Decision Proposal was forwarded into assembly procedure. He stated that the Serbian Radical Party Deputy Group had submitted several amendments they believe can greatly improve the text of the proposed decision. He said that the Government’s Decision Proposal makes no mention of Resolution 1244, so the Deputy Group submitted amendments to rectify it. He also added that the Serbian Radical Party believes that, at the moment, cooperation should be strengthened with
Nada Kolundzija, head of the For European Serbia Deputy Group said that the Decision Proposal contains nothing unacceptable and supports the Government in its continued struggle before international institutions. She invited all the deputies to endorse the Decision Proposal as an endorsement by the opposition parties would make the argumentation before the international institutions stronger. She added that the state policy towards Kosovo-Metohija stems from the Constitution, as well as the Government’s policy which continues the fight for the country’s integrity by all political, legal and diplomatic means at its disposal. She restated that Serbia would neither give up the fight for Kosovo, nor European integrations declaring the argumentation for bringing charges against the countries that had recognised Kosovo independence flawed and faulty and adding that it would endanger the European integration process which is the country’s strategic goal and its citizens’ aspiration. Kolundzija believes that a continued struggle means that
The deputies were also addressed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Ivica Dacic. In his address he deemed that the ruling of the International Court of Justice was grounded in a faulty interpretation of Resolution 1244. The resolution guarantees the territorial integrity of SRY and offers no grounds for the declaration of Kosovo independence. He stated that the International Court of Justice was not governed by the strength of arguments when delivering its opinion and added that
Deputy Dragan Sormaz deemed that the last twenty years of struggle for Kosovo-Metohija are actually two decades of lost battles. He believes that we can enter future battles only if we start working. A UN General Assembly will be held in September and the Government should take responsibility. After it, new parliamentary elections should be called and a new government should be elected, one which would try to suffer fewer defeats in its efforts on the behalf of
Head of the New Serbia Deputy Group Velimir Ilic opined that the Government is not united regarding the Decision Proposal discussed today at the National Assembly. He deemed that Resolution 1244 should be obeyed, however the International Court of Justice does not respect the Resolution. He believes that, as a moral act, the Minister of Foreign Affairs should resign. He also objected to the manner in which today’s National Assembly session was convened and criticised the results and the composition of the state’s legal team which represented
Head of the Minorities Deputy Group Balint Pasztor stressed that the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians and the Vojvodina Hungarians will be neither the party nor the nation in
Head of the Party of United Pensioners Deputy Group Momo Colakovic said that the International Court of Justice did not take into consideration all the facts provided by Serbia when delivering its advisory opinion. PUPS Deputy Group supports the policy of a peaceful solution to the problem, based on the Constitution. PUPS deems the Decision Proposal submitted by the Government acceptable and believes that only by continuing the fight in the UN can Serbia’s interests be realised. He called upon all the deputy groups at the National Assembly to unite on the issue of preserving Kosovo-Metohija and announced that his Deputy Group would endorse the Government’s Decision Proposal on Voting Day.
After recess, in the continuation of the National Assembly’s unified discussion on the only item on the agenda, the following deputies took part: Djordje Milicevic, Riza Halimi, Vlajko Senic, Aleksandra Jankovic, Nenad Canak, Dragan Todorovic, Milos Aligrudic, Tomislav Nikolic, Cedomir Jovanovic, Vesna Pesic, Stojanka Petkovic, Bozidar Delic, Dragoljub Micunovic, Sreto Peric, Smiljana Milisavljevic, Miroslav Markicevic, Srdjan Milivojevic, Zoran Ostojic, Vlatko Ratkovic, Zoran Nikolic, Srdjan Mikovic, Boris Aleksic, Milan Stanimirovic, Natasa Vuckovic, Jovan Palallic, Bosko Ristic, Nemanja Sarovic, Gordana Comic, Janko Veselinovic, Dejan Mirovic, Jelena Trivan, Zoran Krasic and Branko Ruzic, as well as ministers Zarko Obradovic, Ivica Dacic, Vuk Jeremic and Goran Bogdanovic.
In the course of the unified discussion, Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic informed the National Assembly that the Government of the
When the list of speakers no longer had any requests for the floor, the National Assembly was addressed by the President of the
Having concluded the unified discussion, National Assembly Speaker Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic set Monday, 26 July 2010, as Voting Day on the only item on the agenda for the Sixth Extraordinary Session of the National Assembly in 2010, starting at 11.35 p.m.
The National Assembly adopted the Proposal of the Decision on the Continuation of the Activities of the
Since the National Assembly had completed the discussion on the only item on the agenda and ruled on it, the National Assembly Speaker concluded the Sixth Extraordinary Session of the National Assembly of the