THE FOLLOWING IS THE SPEECH OF THE SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA IN ITS ENTIRETY:

"Dear participants of the public hearing,

Esteemed colleagues,

Thank you for being here today, in the National Assembly, at another public hearing on the initiative to change the Constitution. I would like to remind you that this is the second public hearing on this topic, we had the first on April 29, so we are already entering a series of open debates that will be organised not only in Belgrade, but Novi Sad, Nis and Kragujevac as well.

Thank you for coming, I am looking forward to your constructive contribution to the discussion, because you, as experts, are the most qualified to assess the validity of the constitutional changes that are ahead of us, as well as give good recommendations for their content. Today, we have with us representatives of the law faculties in Belgrade, Kragujevac, Nis and Novi Sad, the Judicial Academy, bar associations, international organisations, judicial institutions and professional associations. In the next rounds of public hearings, we planned to include representatives of the civil sector, as well as all other interested parties in this very important issue.

Let me repeat that the focus of our attention today is the change to those provisions of the Constitution that concern the judiciary, that is, the manner of election to judicial office, and there will be no other changes. These changes are partly our obligation arising from the process of accession to the European Union, but for the most part they stem from our need to make sure the constitutional system provides maximum protection and equality of citizens before the law, and a new, more modern way of electing judges will be a strong guarantee of these rights.

From the beginning of this procedure, I have been convinced that it does not have to take too long and that all of us who participate in it, with the National Assembly playing a central role, can be very constructive and efficient. You know very well that the process of changing the Constitution is complex and all of its stages have to be performed according to the prescribed democratic procedure, which is just as important as the content of the new provisions. Bearing that in mind, I would like to inform you that the National Assembly will consider the proposed Constitutional amendment at the plenary session on 8 June viz. the decision proposal to initiate the procedure for constitutional changes. After that, our Committee on Constitutional and Legislative Issues should determine the draft text of the constitutional changes, which the National Assembly will rule on again, followed by a referendum in which all citizens will vote on the proposals.

Given the importance of these changes, it is our intention to reach a broad consensus through broad consultations, including you as the most competent representatives of the legal profession, and come to a long-term solution, efficient and fair. In that sense, I expect your full contribution to this public debate, and on the other hand, on behalf of the National Assembly I offer our full cooperation and open doors for all initiatives that can contribute to the best possible result.

Thank you once again for being here today and I wish you a good and fruitful discussion! ”