The Chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Predrag Markovic, convened the Second Session of the Second Regular Sitting of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in 2004 for 3 p.m. on Wednesday 13 October 2004.

The National Assembly adopted the following agenda for the session:

1. Bill Modifying the Act on the Budget of the Republic of Serbia for 2004, together with proposals for authorising decisions modifying 2004 financial plans of bodies administering compulsory social security:
a) the Republic Fund for Pension and Disability Insurance of Employees;
b) the Republic Fund for Pension and Disability Insurance of Agricultural Producers;
c) the Republic Fund for Pension and Disability Insurance of Individual Professions;
d) the Republic Health Insurance Agency, and
e) the National Employment Service, submitted by the Government of the Republic of Serbia.
2. Bill on Providing Counter-guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for the Repayment of Loans with the European Investment Bank for Financing the Republic of Serbia Energy Sector Reconstruction Project, submitted by the Government of the Republic of Serbia;
3. Bill on Providing Counter-guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for the Repayment of Loans with the European Investment Bank for Financing the Urgent Health Project, submitted by the Government of the Republic of Serbia;
4. Bill on Providing Counter-guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for the Repayment of Loans with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (Serbian National Power Corporation, Project II), submitted by the Government of the Republic of Serbia;
5. Bill on Providing Counter-guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for the Repayment of Loans with the European Investment Bank for Financing the City of Belgrade Reconstruction Project, submitted by the Government of the Republic of Serbia;
6. Bill on Providing Counter-guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for the Repayment of Loans with the European Investment Bank for Financing the Power Grid Management System Project, submitted by the Government of the Republic of Serbia;
7. Bill on Providing Counter-guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for the Repayment of Loans with the European Investment Bank for Financing the Serbia Urban Waterworks Project, submitted by the Government of the Republic of Serbia;
8. Bill on Free Access to Information of Public Importance, submitted by the Government of the Republic of Serbia;
9. Election of one member of the Republic Committee Charged with Monitoring Conflicts of Interest from the List submitted by the Serbian Academy of Sciences of Arts;
10. Proposal of the Decision on the Formation of a Board of Inquiry Charged with Ascertaining Facts and Circumstances Relating to the Elections for the City of Belgrade Assembly Held on 19 September 2004, submitted by deputies Ljiljana Nestorovic and Meho Omerovic.

On the second day of the session (14 October), the National Assembly commenced debate in principle on the Bill Modifying the Act on the Budget of the Republic of Serbia for 2004, together with proposals for authorising decisions modifying 2004 financial plans of bodies administering compulsory social security. The Bill was presented by Mladjan Dinkic, the Minister of Finance.

On the third day of the session (18 October), the deputies concluded discussing the Bill Modifying the Act on the Budget in principle and in particular.

On the fourth day of the session (19 October), Voting Day, the deputies passed the Bill Modifying the Act on the Budget of the Republic of Serbia for 2004, together with proposals for authorising decisions modifying 2004 financial plans of bodies administering compulsory social security: the Republic Fund for Pension and Disability Insurance of Employees, the Republic Fund for Pension and Disability Insurance of Agricultural Producers, the Republic Fund for Pension and Disability Insurance of Individual Professions, the Republic Health Insurance Agency, and the National Employment Service, submitted by the Government of the Republic of Serbia.

The Assembly then noted the resignation of Dr Predrag Bubalo from the post of Minister of International Economic Relations, and included the Proposal for the Election of Members of the Government of the Republic of Serbia on the agenda under urgent procedure as item two. The Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Dr Vojislav Kostunica, presented nominees for ministers to the deputies.

After discussion ended, on Voting Day, the National Assembly appointed Dr Predrag Bubalo as Minister of Economy, Dr Slobodan Vuksanovic as Minister of Education and Sports, and Dr Milan Parivodic as Minister of Foreign Economic Relations. The newly elected ministers took the oath of office before the National Assembly.

On the fifth day of the session (21 October), the deputies discussed, in principle and in particular, the Bill on Providing Counter-guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for the Repayment of Loans with the European Investment Bank for Financing the Republic of Serbia Energy Sector Reconstruction Project, submitted by the Government of the Republic of Serbia, the Bill on Providing Counter-guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for the Repayment of Loans with the European Investment Bank for Financing the Urgent Health Project, the Bill on Providing Counter-guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for the Repayment of Loans with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (Serbian National Power Corporation, Project II), the Bill on Providing Counter-guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for the Repayment of Loans with the European Investment Bank for Financing the City of Belgrade Reconstruction Project, and the Bill on Providing Counter-guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for the Repayment of Loans with the European Investment Bank for Financing the Serbia Urban Waterworks Project. The Bills were presented by the Minister of Finance, Mladjan Dinkic.

The Chairman informed the National Assembly that Goran Paunovic and Ksenija Milivojevic, the chairman and vice-chairperson of the G17 Plus Deputies Group, had resigned from their offices.

At the beginning of the sixth day of the session (26 October), the Chairman of the National Assembly, Predrag Markovic, informed the deputies that Miloljub Albijanic and Snezana Stojanovic-Plavsic had been appointed as, respectively, chairman and vice-chairperson of the G17 Plus Deputies’ Group.

The National Assembly discussed in principle the Bill on Free Access to Information of Public Importance, submitted by the Government of the Republic of Serbia, and commenced discussing amendments submitted to it. The Bill was presented by the Minister of Culture, Dragan Kojadinovic.

On the seventh day of the session (27 October), the National Assembly discussed amendments submitted to the Bill on Free Access to Information of Public Importance, and debated the election of a member of the Republic Committee Charged with Monitoring Conflicts of Interest from the list submitted by the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts. Also discussed was the Proposal of the Decision on the Formation of a Board of Inquiry Charged with Ascertaining Facts and Circumstances Relating to the Elections for the City of Belgrade Assembly Held on 19 September 2004.

As all items from the agenda had been dealt with, the Chairman convened a session for 10 a.m. on 2 November, designating it Voting Day for items from the agenda of the Second Session of the Second Regular Sitting of the National Assembly in 2004.

As the National Assembly had finished discussing all items from the session’s agenda, the Chairman, Predrag Markovic, set Voting Day (2 November) for all the items, except for items one and two, which the National Assembly had already voted on.

On Voting Day, the National Assembly adopted Bill the on Providing Counter-guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for the Repayment of Loans with the European Investment Bank for Financing the Republic of Serbia Energy Sector Reconstruction Project, the Bill on Providing Counter-guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for the Repayment of Loans with the European Investment Bank for Financing the Urgent Health Project, the Bill on Providing Counter-guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for the Repayment of Loans with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (Serbian National Power Corporation, Project II), the Bill on Providing Counter-guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for the Repayment of Loans with the European Investment Bank for Financing the City of Belgrade Reconstruction Project, the Bill on Providing Counter-guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for the Repayment of Loans with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for Financing the Power Grid Management System Project, and the Bill on Providing Counter-guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for the Repayment of Loans with the European Investment Bank for Financing the Serbia Urban Waterworks Project. All the Bills were adopted in their entirety.

The National Assembly then went on to adopt, in its entirety, the Bill on Free Access to Information of Public Importance, and the Proposal of the Decision on the Formation of a Board of Inquiry Charged with Ascertaining Facts and Circumstances Relating to the Elections for the City of Belgrade Assembly Held on 19 September 2004.

The National Assembly failed to elect one member of the Republic Committee Charged with Monitoring Conflicts of Interest from the list submitted by the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts.

As the Assembly had discussed and voted on all items from the agenda, Mr Markovic concluded the Second Session of the Second Regular Sitting of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in 2004.