LA21: Tadic Should not Sign the Decree on Set of Laws on Local Self-Government

08 January 2008

On the behalf of the National Coordination of NGOs Aarhus Convention and Public Participation, Local Agenda 21 from Kostolac sent an open letter to President Boris Tadic, demanding that he refuse to sign the decree on adoption of a set of laws in the area of loca self-government.

Acording to LA21, the Law on Local Self-Government, Law on Local Elections and the Law on Territorial Organization of Serbia, needed for the coming local elections, were adopted in an urgent procedure, in violation of several segments of proper adoption prodecure.

LA21 � Kostolac accuses the initiator, Minister of State Administration and Local Self-Government Milan Markovic of neglecting the obligations in the Law on State Administration for obligatory public debate on all laws that introduce significant changes in the legal regime in an area of special interest to the public.

Therefore, the Government violates the provisions from its own Book of Rules and Procedures which establishes a similar obligation to hold public debate.

LA21-Kostolac comments that the laws passed the parliamentary vote smoothly, without a mention of the issue of very legality of the procedure for their drafting and adoption.

�Evidently, the aim was to adopt the laws before the expiration of the deadlines provided in the Constitutional Law, and not to improve the living conditions for the citizens�, says the open letter, adding that �the laws would definitely be better if the voice and opinions of citizens were heard in a proper public debate�.