The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, convened the Fifth Sitting of the Second Regular Session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in 2008 for Saturday, 20 December 2008, starting at 2 p.m. The Sitting was postponed and began on Monday, 22 December 2008, at 3.10 p.m.

The National Assembly set the following agenda:

1. The Bill on the Budget of the Republic of Serbia for 2009, with its accompanying proposals of decisions granting consent to financial plans for 2009 of:

a. the Republic Fund for Pension and Disability Insurance of Employees

b. the Republic Health Insurance Agency

c. the National Employment Service, submitted by the Government,

2. The Bill amending and modifying the Property Tax Law,

3. The Bill amending and modifying the Excise Tax Law,

4. The Bill amending and modifying the Customs Tariff,

5. The Bill amending and modifying the Law on Republic Administrative Fees,

6. The Bill on temporary tax exemption from Personal Income Tax to specific types of income,

7. The Bill amending and modifying the Mandatory Social Insurance Contributions Law,

8. The Bill amending the Law on Pension and Disability Insurance,

9. The Bill on the Confirmation of the Loan Agreement (“Delivery of Improved Local Services” project) between the Republic of Serbia and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development,

10. The Bill modifying the Criminal Procedure Code,

11. Proposals of Decisions on the cessation of office of bearers of judicial functions,

12. Proposals of Decisions amending and modifying the Decision on the Election of Members of Committees of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.

By a majority of votes, the National Assembly accepted the Government’s proposal that the bills be urgently put onto the agenda for the sitting. It also accepted the proposal that the first eight bills be jointly debated in principle, and agreed on a unified discussion on item 9 on the agenda.

Opening the discussion on the Republic of Serbia 2009 Budget, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic said that the budget is restrictive-incentive because it represents a balance between current expenditure and development, pointing out that the Serbian Government has prepared measures to enable Serbia to weather the upcoming crisis as painlessly as possible. The budget is restrictive regarding national expenditure, which should be at its lowest, and incentive in supporting the economy to overcome the difficulties and sustain planned development, the Prime Minister said, stressing that the budget should be regarded as one of the main package of measures the state is implementing in order to withstand the economic crisis.

Explaining the 2009 budget, Minister of Finance Diana Dragutinovic reminded that the 2009 budget revenue is planned at about 698.8 billion dinars, expenditure at about 748.8 billion dinars, with a deficit below 50 billion dinars. She pointed out that the global economic crisis will have a negative impact on Serbian economy too, and that Serbia’s international economic relations will be the most affected by the world crisis. Due to this, the Serbian Government and NBS have implemented a number of measures, the most important of which is the so-called “stand by” arrangement with MMF, Minister Dragutinovic said, stressing that the most significant task of the 2009 economic policy is maintaining macroeconomic stability, which means cutting public expenditure, due to which the budget is very restrictive.

In addition to pointing out violations of the Rules of Procedure and asking questions of the Government Ministers, the deputies went on to commence a joint discussion on the budget proposal and accompanying tax laws. At the beginning of the discussion, the deputies who had reserved their opinion at the committee sittings discussing the Budget Bill, requested the floor, followed by deputy groups’ presidents and representatives.

On the second day of work, 23 December, the National Assembly continued the joint discussion in principle on the 2009 Budget Bill and accompanying tax laws.

At the beginning of the sitting, the SRP, DPS and NS deputies, submitters of the initiative to vote no-confidence in the Government, requested that the National Assembly Speaker, Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, set a voting day on the issue which had already been discussed.

The National Assembly Speaker stated that the sitting on no-confidence in the Government had already been concluded and proceeded to explain that the submitters of the initiative were obliged to propose a voting day, which they failed to do. She also said that she will set a voting day in agreement with the submitters of the initiative.

In the discussion of the 2009 Budget Bill, deputies from opposition parties voiced various objections and suggestions to the proposed solutions. They objected that the bill is late, that it does not take economic trends into consideration, and that it is neither restrictive nor incentive.

The National Assembly Speaker informed the deputies that she had scheduled a meeting with the heads of deputy groups, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic and Minister of Finance Diana Dragutinovic, for Wednesday 24 December, where they should reach an agreement on intensifying the work on the 2009 Budget Bill.

During the sitting, the deputies pointed out violations of the Rules of Procedure and asked the Ministers of the Serbian Government various questions.

By the end of the day, the National Assembly had completed the joint discussion in principle on the Bill on the Budget of the Republic of Serbia for 2009, with its accompanying proposals of decisions granting consent to financial plans for 2009 of: the Republic Fund for Pension and Disability Insurance of Employees, the Republic Health Insurance Agency, the National Employment Service, submitted by the Government, the Bill amending and modifying the Property Tax Law, the Bill amending and modifying the Excise Tax Law, the Bill amending and modifying the Customs Tariff, the Bill amending and modifying the Law on Republic Administrative Fees, the Bill on temporary tax exemption from Personal Income Tax to specific types of income, the Bill amending and modifying the Mandatory Social Insurance Contributions Law, the Bill amending the Law on Pension and Disability Insurance and the unified discussion on the Bill on the Confirmation of the Loan Agreement (“Delivery of Improved Local Services” project) between the Republic of Serbia and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

On the third day of work, 24 December, the National Assembly commenced a discussion in principle on the tenth item on the agenda: the Bill modifying the Criminal Procedure Code.

Before the debate commenced, the deputies wished happy holidays, in ethnic minority languages, to all who celebrate Christmas according to the Gregorian calendar.

In the morning part of work, in addition to the debate according to the agenda, the deputies also claimed violations of the Rules of Procedure, asked questions and requested information.

In the afternoon, the National Assembly concluded the discussion in principle on the Bill modifying the Criminal Procedure Code and conducted a unified discussion on the Proposals of Decisions on the cessation of office of bearers of judicial functions, submitted by the Committee on Justice and Administration and a unified discussion on the Proposals of Decisions amending and modifying the Decision on the Election of Members of Committees of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, submitted by For European Serbia, Serbian Radical Party, G17 Plus and Liberal Democratic Party deputy groups.

Having completed the discussion, the National Assembly Speaker, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, congratulated the holiday to all citizens who celebrate Christmas according to the Gregorian calendar.

On the fourth day of work, 26 December, the National Assembly continued the discussion in detail on the Bill on the Budget of the Republic of Serbia for 2009, with its accompanying proposals of decisions granting consent to financial plans for 2009 of:

a. the Republic Fund for Pension and Disability Insurance of Employees

b. the Republic Health Insurance Agency

c. the National Employment Service.

Before the discussion on the amendments, the deputies pointed out violations of the Rules of Procedure, asked questions and requested information.

In the afternoon part of the session the deputies continued the discussion in detail.

On the fifth day of work, 27 December, the National Assembly continued the discussion in detail on the Bill on the Budget of the Republic of Serbia for 2009.

Before continuing the discussion on the amendments, the deputies requested the floor on issues outside of the agenda, pointing out violations of the Rules of Procedure. On the issue whether the police action in which ex-members of UCK in Presevo were arrested exceeded authority, the chairperson Gordana Comic said that she will request a report on it from the relevant authorities.

By the end of the day, out of the 248 amendments total submitted to the Bill on the Budget of the Republic of Serbia for 2009, the deputies had discussed 52.

On the sixth day of work, 28 December, the National Assembly continued the discussion on the amendments to the Bill on the Budget of the Republic of Serbia for 2009.

In the discussion on the amendments, the deputies of the opposition requested that state administration expenses be decreased, particularly those for the Deputy Prime Ministers’ cabinets and certain ministries, as well as officials’ travel expenses. On the other hand, they proposed an increase of means for the operations of the State Auditors Office considering the institution’s importance for the control of the expenditure of public means. They also requested that the National Assembly debate the report on the final account of the current year’s budget.

Among others, there was a debate on deputy Riza Halimi’s amendment regarding the re-allocation of means intended for the Coordination Body for South Serbia. He pointed out the problems that arise in the implementation of the Government’s programme for the area and objected to the proposed allocation of means.

At the end of the proceedings, the National Assembly discussed the SRP and SPP deputies’ amendments requesting an increase of means for the agrarian budget and agricultural subsidies.

Out of the 248 amendments submitted to the Bill on the Budget of the Republic of Serbia for 2009, the National Assembly had discussed about 70 by the end of the workday.

On the seventh day of work, 29 December, the National Assembly continued the discussion on the amendments to the Bill on the Budget of the Republic of Serbia for 2009. The opposition deputies elaborated the amendments, asking that they be accepted thus increasing the agricultural means through the re-allocation of certain budgetary items.

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic informed the deputies that the Government of the Republic of Serbia had withdrawn the Bill modifying the Criminal Procedure Code from Assembly procedure and submitted a request to hold an extraordinary session. She also informed the deputies that abiding by the Government’s request under article 166 of the Rules of Procedure, she had scheduled the Sixth Extraordinary Session for Tuesday, 30 December, beginning at 12 p.m., and containing one item on its agenda: the Bill modifying the Criminal Procedure Code.

The discussion in detail was continued in the afternoon, during which the deputies of the Forward Serbia Deputy Group withdrew the amendments they proposed to the 2009 Budget Bill from procedure.

Following the agreement reached at the meeting between the National Assembly Speaker and the deputy groups’ heads, the Head of the SRP Deputy Group Dragan Todorovic informed the National Assembly that they shall not impede voting on the budget and that the Serbian Radical Party will allow voting on the 2009 budget. The Head of the New Serbia Deputy Group Velimir Ilic said that this party’s deputies withdrew all the amendments they had submitted to the Budget Bill, after which the deputies no longer discussed the amendments.

Following the discussion in detail, the Minister of Finance Diana Dragutinovic requested the floor stressing that she could not design a budget that would please everyone and repeated that next year’s budget is restrictive.

Since the National Assembly had completed the discussion in detail on the 2009 Budget Bill, the National Assembly Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic set Monday, 29 December, as Voting Day, beginning at 9:05 pm.

Voting Day

On Voting Day, the National Assembly adopted the Bill on the Budget of the Republic of Serbia for 2009, with its accompanying proposals of decisions granting consent to financial plans for 2009 of the Republic Fund for Pension and Disability Insurance of Employees, the Republic Health Insurance Agency, the National Employment Service in its entirety.

Having consulted with the Government on the remaining items on the agenda of the Fifth Sitting, the National Assembly Speaker informed the deputies that the Government had withdrawn the bills number 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10 on the set agenda.

Since the National Assembly had completed the joint discussion on items 9, 11 and 12, the National Assembly Speaker set Monday, 29 December 2008, as Voting Day, starting at 11:52 p.m.

The National Assembly adopted the Bill on the Confirmation of the Loan Agreement (“Delivery of Improved Local Services” project) between the Republic of Serbia and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

The National Assembly also adopted the Proposals of Decisions on the cessation of office of bearers of judicial functions and the Proposals of Decisions amending and modifying the Decision on the Election of Members of Committees of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.

On Voting Day, the National Assembly also deliberated on the violations of the rules of Procedure pointed out by the deputies during the session and ruled that the articles of the Rules of Procedure had not been violated in any of the instances.

Since the National Assembly had completed the discussion on all the items on the agenda and ruled on them, the Speaker of the National Assembly Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic concluded the Fifth Sitting of the Second Regular Session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in 2008.