The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic talked at the conference on the published results of the second round of research on corruption perception and occurrences in the Republic of Serbia carried out by Media Gallup agency. In addition to the Assembly Speaker, the press was addressed by Zorana Markovic, Anti-Corruption Agency Director, William Infante, UN Resident Coordinator and Medium Gallup agency’s Srbobran Brankovic.

Djukic-Dejanovic appealed to everyone, particularly to state authorities, to join the systemic eradication of corruption, a huge social problem in Serbia, adding that “Eradicating corruption is a prerequisite for a better quality of living for Serbian citizens and speedier integration into the European family of nations”. The Assembly Speaker said the research results indicate that the citizens’ knowledge of the presence of corruption in society require special attention, adding that they expect answers to many questions from the Serbian Assembly, as the supreme legislative body, the question of corruption among them.

The Assembly Speaker said that, in view of the priorities of state policy and European Commission’s evaluation that Serbia is on the right way to handle corruption, in line with its competencies the Parliament is obliged to join the systemic resolution of the problem of corruption.

She stated that the Serbian Assembly had ratified a great number of international treaties, conventions and additional protocols which she believes to be important from the aspect of EU ascension, as well as the fight against corruption.

“By adopting the decision determining the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, the Assembly has obliged the state authorities to carry out the strategy’s recommendations. In order to implement said strategy the Parliament has passed a list of laws important for the struggle against corruption, and the current convocation has, among other things, passed the Law on the Anti-corruption Agency and elected the members of the Agency’s board”, said Djukic-Dejanovic.

Markovic said that the creation of anti-corruption mechanisms, primarily in state authorities is a long-term commitment that the agency cannot handle on its own and that it necessitates the support it enjoys from the parliament and which is both declarative and practical.

Infante said that the UN’s goal in Serbia is to increase transparency, responsibility and efficiency of state services and stressed that the government representatives’ clear signals demonstrate full dedication to the anti-corruption struggle.

Medium Gallup’s latest public poll on corruption in Serbia demonstrated that corruption remains the fourth most important social problem in Serbia, after unemployment, poverty and low income. Almost 90% of citizens believe that corruption is commonplace in Serbia, and 59% believe that a certain level of corruption is to be expected, Brankovic said.

The research is part of the support project to the Republic of Serbia’s anti-corruption efforts and implementation of the Anti-Corruption Strategy realised by the Anti-Corruption Agency with the support of the United Nations Development Programme.