Imamović: Attitude towards minorities as a foreign body – Politics

Although only 15 deputies presented this proposal, the ruling majority during the debate stated that they would support the proposed conclusions, while opposition deputy SDA Sandzak Enis Imamovic stated that his party would not vote on the conclusions because deputies did not participate in their adoption.

Imamovic said his parliamentary group resigned to table amendments because they did not want “those amendments to become an instrument of political confrontation with dissidents.”

He also stated that minority issues are considered under Chapter 23, and that the minority action plan in that chapter is illegal and illegitimate from the Bosnian point of view, and that the position of national minorities in Serbia it is not regulated.

“The attitude towards minorities is like that towards a foreign body that will simply disappear or should be removed,” Imamovic said.

He referred to the incomplete prosecution of war crimes from the 1990s, mainly in Sjeverin and Štrpci, and assessed that the rights of national minorities in Vojvodina are at a much higher level than in the rest of Serbia. Almost all the government representatives present responded to Deputy Imamović.

Prime Minister Brnabić asked MP SDA to give him the exact page of the EC report that says “Bosnians are discriminated against”, because he did not find such a thing in the report.

He noted that Imamović said that he was thinking of proposing amendments, but did not assess that they themselves decided not to participate, and then said that no one had listened to them.

“So you chose not to participate. It is not a democracy not to participate in the dialogue. That is democracy in the way our opposition understands it,” Brnabić said, and Imamović responded that it was indecent for him to tell him which side of the report he was dealing with. minorities.

He said that the Serbian government failed in this regard from the Bosnian point of view.

“Do not pretend to be my teacher and punish me. It is not you here who evaluates me, but I evaluate you,” said Imamović, adding that it is his right not to participate, as well as the right not to agree with the conclusions. because, according to the party it represents in parliament, essential criticisms of the EC are not taken into account, Serbia’s progress in European integration.

He stated that the Report also states that the minority system in Serbia has numerous root deficiencies, that is, legal solutions, and that amendments to the National Minorities Law have been made in a cosmetic manner.

“It is necessary to approve a new law because this, in addition to being general and not respecting the specific, does not provide an adequate response for the inclusion of national minorities in social life,” said parliamentarian SDA, adding that in addition to the decisions judicial, the genocide in Srebrenica is denied. War crimes are also prosecuted against other Albanian and Croatian peoples, it is mentioned that war crimes are not convicted, war criminals, here war criminals are still involved in public affairs.

Imamović also spoke about the disproportionate employment of national minorities and that this was especially pronounced among Croats, Albanians, Bosnians and Roma.

In response to Imamovic’s criticism, the Minister of Human Rights and Social Dialogue, Gordana Comic, pointed out that the right to apply the law is equal for everyone and announced that the ministry would have a secretary of state who would deal exclusively with the application of the law on national minorities at the local level.

He informed Imamovic that objections to the missing laws were the subject of a meeting with national minorities held on November 24, in which the Ministry proposed that decisions be made later this year on the three most important issues, including the census. 2021. Elections of 2020 and proposals on how national minorities should be represented as much as possible in public service programs, mainly in RTS.

“We all have the same rights.” Ethnic diversity should not be discriminated against, “Comic said, and stated that the bill on the prohibition of discrimination, that is, amendments, is under way and that for this it is necessary social dialogue.

He agreed with Imamović that the issue of war crimes in Serbia is not adequately represented, but noted that there is no regulation or law that can prohibit people who have served their sentences from doing business.

The Minister of European Integration, Jadraka Joksimović, also responded aloud to Imamović, saying that in his case there was a total confusion of pots and that Parliament was not discussing the EC report, but the conclusions.

“I regret that you, Members, perceive European integration as an objective for the realization of particular interests. European values ​​are recognized only by human rights and freedoms, but not by national rights. That does not exist,” said Joskimovic.

She also claimed that Imamović insulted her by addressing her as a minister, because she is not a character in Nušić’s comedy, but a minister.

The SDA deputy responded that she understood his fervor for the fight, but would not like her to keep yelling at him.

“I hope it is not debatable that we, the members of the Bosnian people, ask you to respect the Constitution and the laws. Joksimović replied that he was speaking with a mask and that his elevated tone probably did not matter.

The president of the Committee for European Integration, Elvira Kovac, also responded to Imamovic that “it is easier to be in the opposition, criticize, and not offer any solution” and pointed out that all the deputies, including Imamovic, knew in time when they would be considered. these conclusions and had enough time. to file amendments.

He added that the laws on national minorities were modified, in whose adoption all the national councils participated, and that the entire process was transparent.

He also stated that the EC report is dominated by assessments of “moderate readiness” and “some progress”, while in relation to Chapter 23 of negotiation with the European Union, dedicated to judicial reform, anti-corruption policy and rights fundamentally, the assessment is “very limited progress.”

According to Elvira Kovac, the average score for Serbia in this year’s report from the European Commission is 3.03, compared to 2.95 last year.

Kovac stated that the EC stated that the harmonization of Serbia’s policy with the EU’s foreign and security policy is at a low level of 60 percent, and United Serbia MP Dragan Markovic assessed that the report of the CE was malicious and added that some EU members wanted to stop Belgrade at the European level. way.

“If Serbia is not good, why don’t European investors abandon it?” Markovic asked, claiming that Serbia is developing rapidly economically, which is why it is two or three times stronger than the countries in the region. It bothers them that Serbia is buying weapons. We are not buying weapons to attack someone, but to defend ourselves if our neighbors attack us, “Markovic said.

MP Maja Mačužić-Puzić resigned

Brnabic: The rule of law is one of the Government’s focuses

Prime Minister Ana Bnabić stated that a lot had been done in the first month since the formation of the Serbian Government, and that a clear signal had been given that the rule of law would be one of the focuses.

In this regard, he added that Serbia published the GRECO recommendations and thanked the Assembly for adopting the Code of Conduct for deputies with the amendments proposed by the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, which referred to the GRECO recommendations.

He also thanked parliament for electing the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, the members of the State Council of Prosecutors and the presidents of the courts from all over Serbia as soon as possible.

Regarding the freedom of the media, Brnabic said that the Serbian government adopted an action plan for the media strategy, formed a working group for that, as well as for the protection and safety of journalists, whose members it will meet at least once a month.

He noted that the current Minister of Culture and Information, Maja Gojković, downloaded all the advertisements from the site through which the former management discussed with the media.

“The electoral conditions in 2020 are much better than in 2012, as well as the freedom of the media today is incomparable with that of 2011 and 2012. The Working Group for the implementation of the ODHIR recommendations was formed and added that it is still he is working to improve electoral conditions, which is in the interest of both the ruler and the coalition, because that gives the government greater legitimacy, ”said Brnabic.

He added that Serbia has shown a readiness for dialogue with Pristina, as well as great flexibility and courage, but the speed in that process does not depend only on Serbia.

Related texts: