The Third Extraordinary Session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in 2008, convened by the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic at the request of 122 deputies, began on Monday, 30 June 2008, at 12.10 p.m.

The deputies who submitted the Request to hold the session set the following agenda to be considered at the sitting:

1. The Bill amending and modifying the Law on the Government, submitted by 122 deputies and

2. The Bill on the Ministries, submitted by 122 deputies.

The deputies commenced the session with a minute’s silence commemorating the late deputy at the National Assembly, Dragan Tasic.

At the beginning of the discussion in principle of the Bill amending and modifying the Law on the Government, the representative of the submitters, Bosko Ristic elaborated that the proposed amendments and modifications are necessary in order to more precisely determine the position and authority of the First Vice President of the Government, i.e. the deputy to be determined by the President of the Government, who will be authorised to head the government in case of his inability or absence.

The proposed solutions also define the manner of making decisions in case of an even number of votes of the members of the government, which will avoid a blockage in making decisions and enable functionality and political and legal security, Ristic said. He stressed that there are such solutions in both domestic and foreign legal and political practice deeming them in agreement with the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia.

By the end of the first workday, the National Assembly had conducted the discussion in principle of the Bill amending and modifying the Law on the Government.

On the second day (1 July), the National Assembly conducted a discussion in principle on the Bill on the Ministries.

The representative of the submitters, deputy Vlatko Ratkovic, stated that the Bill offers a precise definition of the organisation of the ministries and state government affairs, and, as a major innovation, it predicts that instead of the present 22 ministries the future Serbian Government has 24 ministries. He pointed out that two new ministries will be introduced into the new government – Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and National Investment Plan.

Having briefed the deputies on the authorities of individual ministries and the introduced innovations, Ratkovic stressed that this Bill represents the functionalisation of Serbia’s strategic goals such as joining the EU, ratifying the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, strategic partnership with the Russian Federation, foremostly in the area of energetics, defence of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, fighting crime and corruption and conducting strategic social programmes and reforms.

Deeming the number, structure and scope of the ministries optimal, the representative of the submitters stressed that the success of a government is not measured by the number of ministries. Instead, the balance of government is the measure of success reflected in the growth of salaries and pensions, decrease of inflation and establishment of Serbia in the leadership position in the region.

At the end of the second day the National Assembly concluded the discussion in principle of the Bill on the Ministries.

On the third day (2 July), the National Assembly conducted the discussion in detail on the Bill amending and modifying the Law on the Government.

On the fourth day (3 July), the National Assembly commenced the discussion in detail of the Bill on the Ministries.

Based on the Report of the Republic Electoral Commission on the election of a deputy to fill a vacant seat at the National Assembly and the proposal of the Administrative Committee, the National Assembly acknowledged the verification of mandate to deputy Miodrag Stoilovic elected from the electoral list For European Serbia – Boris Tadic.

On the fifth day (4 July), the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia continued the discussion in detail on the Bill on the Ministries.

After the conclusion of the discussion in detail, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Prof. Dr Slavic Djukic-Dejanovic, set 4 July as Voting Day, starting at 10.40 p.m.

The National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia adopted the Bill amending and modifying the Law on the Government and the Bill on the Ministries in their entirety, thus concluding the Third Extraordinary Session of the National Assembly.