Second Sitting of the First Regular Session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in 2006

The following agenda was adopted by the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia for the Second Sitting of its First Regular Session in 2006, starting on 3 April, immediately after the conclusion of the First Sitting of the First Regular Session in 2006:

- Bill on Prevention of Discrimination against Disabled Persons, proposed by the Government;
- Rehabilitation Bill, proposed by the Government;
- Amnesty Bill, proposed by the Government;
- Bill Amending and Modifying the Planning and Construction Act, proposed by the Government;
- Bill Amending and Modifying the Mining Act, proposed by the Government;
- Bill on the Ratification of the Agreement Concluded Between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Government of the Republic of Montenegro and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran on Mutual Assistance and Co-operation in Customs Matters, proposed by the Government;
- Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for a Loan made by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for Reconstruction of a Section of the Belgrade – Novi Sad Motorway, proposed by the Government;
- Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for a Loan made by the European Investment Bank for a School Improvement Project, proposed by the Government;
- Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for an International Development Association Loan for the Development of an Irrigation and Drainage Rehabilitation Project for Serbia, proposed by the Government;
- Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for an International Development Association Loan (Serbia and Montenegro – Project for Serbia), proposed by the Government;
- Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for an International Development Association Loan for a Consolidated Collection and Pension Administration Reform Project, proposed by the Government;
- Bill on the Ratification of an Agreement Concluded Between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Government of the Republic of Croatia on Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters, proposed by the Government;
- Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for an International Development Association Loan for Structural Adjustment of the Serbian Economy, proposed by the Government;
- Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for an International Development Association Loan for Structural Adjustment of the Serbian Economy (Second Loan), proposed by the Government;
- Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for an International Development Association Loan for Development of the Private and Financial Sectors, proposed by the Government;
- Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for an International Development Association Loan for a Programmatic Private and Financial Development Policy, proposed by the Government;
- Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to the German Financial Organisation KfW for a Loan Granted to the Serbian National Power Generation Corporation to Fund a Mining Equipment Acquisition Project for the Tamnava – Zapadno Polje Coal Mine, proposed by the Government;
- Bill Amending the Co-Operatives Act, proposed by the Government, and
- Proposal of the Decision on the Election of an Ombudsman, proposed by the Constitutional Issues Committee of the National Assembly.

On the first day of the sitting the National Assembly discussed the Bill on Prevention of Discrimination against Disabled Persons in principle. Presenting the new legislation, the Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Policy, Slobodan Lalovic, said that the Bill, as part of a package of anti-discrimination laws, would protect people with disabilities and ensure their integration into normal social intercourse. A law on employment and rehabilitation of disabled persons was also in preparation, Mr Lalovic said, stressing that it would finalise regulation of the field and provide much-needed recognition of rights of between 700,000 and 800,000 Serbian citizens.

On the second day of the sitting (4 April), the National Assembly discussed the Rehabilitation Bill in principle.

According to the Minister of Justice, Zoran Stojkovic, democratic Serbia is obliged to adopt the Rehabilitation Bill and thus make a clean break with its authoritarian past, correct mistakes made in this period of Serbia’s history, and create conditions for permanent reconciliation and transition into a democratic and liberal society.

The Bill foresees rehabilitation of all individuals who were deprived of life, liberty, or other rights, either by a judicial or administrative decision or arbitrarily, for political or ideological reasons. Under the Bill, any interested party may file for rehabilitation.

At today’s sitting the National Assembly also discussed the Amnesty Bill in principle. This Bill, according to the representative of the proposer, Zoran Stojkovic, would provide amnesty for all persons who violated legislation on compulsory military service or who left Serbia to avoid serving.

Day Three

On the third day of the sitting (5 April), the National Assembly discussed the Bill Amending and Modifying the Planning and Construction Act in principle.

As the Minister of Capital Investment, Velimir Ilic, speaking as representative of the Bill’s proposer, had presented proposed amendments and modifications, the deputies discussed the Bill until the end of the day’s sitting.

Day Four

On the fourth day of the sitting (6 April), the National Assembly jointly discussed, in principle, two Bills ratifying international agreements and ten Bills on the provision of counter-guarantees. The Bills debated were:

-
- Bill on the Ratification of the Agreement Concluded Between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Government of the Republic of Montenegro and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran on Mutual Assistance and Co-operation in Customs Matters;
- Bill on the Ratification of an Agreement Concluded Between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Government of the Republic of Croatia on Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters;
- Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for a Loan made by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for Reconstruction of a Section of the Belgrade – Novi Sad Motorway;
- Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for a Loan made by the European Investment Bank for a School Improvement Project;
- Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for an International Development Association Loan for the Development of an Irrigation and Drainage Rehabilitation Project for Serbia;
- Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for an International Development Association Loan (Serbia and Montenegro – Project for Serbia);
- Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for an International Development Association Loan for a Consolidated Collection and Pension Administration Reform Project;
- Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for an International Development Association Loan for Structural Adjustment of the Serbian Economy;
- Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for an International Development Association Loan for Structural Adjustment of the Serbian Economy (Second Loan);
- Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for an International Development Association Loan for Development of the Private and Financial Sectors;
- Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for an International Development Association Loan for a Programmatic Private and Financial Development Policy, and
- Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to the German Financial Organisation KfW for a Loan Granted to the Serbian National Power Generation Corporation to Fund a Mining Equipment Acquisition Project for the Tamnava – Zapadno Polje Coal Mine.

Presenting the Bills, the Minister of Finance, Mladjan Dinkic, said that if Serbia’s GDP continued to grow at the present annual rate of at least 5% there would be no problems in servicing the debts. According to Mr Dinkic, the share of public debt in Serbia’s GDP was still not significant.

At the start of discussion in principle on the Bill Amending the Co-Operatives Act, the National Assembly was addressed by the Minister of Trade, Tourism and Services, Bojan Dimitrijevic, who presented the proposed amendments in detail.

The Assembly concluded discussion in principle on the Bill by the end of the day’s sitting.

Day Five

On the fifth day of the sitting (10 April), the National Assembly discussed particulars of the Bill on Prevention of Discrimination against Disabled Persons and commenced discussing particulars of the Rehabilitation Bill.

Day Six

On the sixth day of the sitting (11 April), the National Assembly concluded discussing the particulars of the Rehabilitation Bill and the Amnesty Bill, and commenced discussing the particulars of the Bill Amending and Modifying the Planning and Construction Act.

Day Seven

On the seventh day of the sitting (12 April), the National Assembly discussed particulars of the Bill Amending and Modifying the Planning and Construction Act and the Mining Bill.

Voting Day

On Voting Day (17 April), the National Assembly adopted the Bill on Prevention of Discrimination against Disabled Persons, the Rehabilitation Bill, the Amnesty Bill, and the Bill Amending and Modifying the Planning and Construction Act in their entirety.

The National Assembly also adopted the Bill on the Ratification of the Agreement Concluded Between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Government of the Republic of Montenegro and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran on Mutual Assistance and Co-operation in Customs Matters, the Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for a Loan made by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for Reconstruction of a Section of the Belgrade – Novi Sad Motorway, the Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for a Loan made by the European Investment Bank for a School Improvement Project, the Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for an International Development Association Loan for the Development of an Irrigation and Drainage Rehabilitation Project for Serbia, the Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for an International Development Association Loan (Serbia and Montenegro – Project for Serbia), and the Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for an International Development Association Loan for a Consolidated Collection and Pension Administration Reform Project.

The deputies went on to adopt the Bill on the Ratification of an Agreement Concluded Between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Government of the Republic of Croatia on Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters, the Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for an International Development Association Loan for Structural Adjustment of the Serbian Economy, the Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for an International Development Association Loan for Structural Adjustment of the Serbian Economy (Second Loan), the Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for an International Development Association Loan for Development of the Private and Financial Sectors, and the Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to Serbia and Montenegro for an International Development Association Loan for a Programmatic Private and Financial Development Policy.

The Assembly also adopted the Bill on the Provision of Counter-Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to the German Financial Organisation KfW for a Loan Granted to the Serbian National Power Generation Corporation to Fund a Mining Equipment Acquisition Project for the Tamnava – Zapadno Polje Coal Mine and the Bill Amending the Co-Operatives Act.

As the National Assembly had finished discussion and voting on all items from the agenda, the Assembly Chairman, Predrag Markovic, concluded the Second Sitting of the First Regular Session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in 2006.