We Do Not Have the President of the Republic Any More

Sixth Session of the National Assembly of RS

Without Plavsic, but with Krrajisnik. Every conclusion of the SDS seems to have its Constitution which makes it valid.

Pale, 5 April, 1997 (AIM) - In Hotel Bistrica on mount Jahorina, the sixth session of the National Assembly of Republica Srpska was finished last night. There were 28 items on the agenda. In the very beginning, deputies of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), the Associated List (UL) and the Party for B&H (SzB&H) demanded taking item 16 off the agenda, which referred to the discussion on adoption of the draft law on amendments of the law on Serb citizenship.

This demand was rejected by majority of votes.

The discussion started by the demand of the head of the deputies of the Alliance for Peace and Progress (SMP), Dragutin Ilic, that the deputies be informed whether the law on ratification of the Agreement on special and parallel relations of RS and FR Yugoslavia had been signed. "From the statement of the President of RS Biljana Plavsic it can be concluded that she had not signed it nor had she authorized anyone else to do it", said Ilic.

Predrag Lazarevic, deputy of the Serb Party of Krajina and Posavina, put the question of authenticity of the extracts from the minutes of the session of the Main Board of the Serb Democratic Party (SDS): "If these extracts are authentic, the issue here is what is the sense of the existence of this assembly, because then there is the party which is superior to the Constitution of RS", said Lazarevic.

Then the Chairman of the Assembly of RS, Dragan Kalinic showed the document on ratification of the Law with the signature of the Vice-President of RS Dragoljub Mirjanic on it, while President of the SDS Aleksa Buha confirmed authenticity of the document from the Main Board of his party which bore his signature. Buha used the opportunity to praize the SDS as a party which cared for the people accusing Lazarevic that he was not speaking the truth when he said that he was not informed about this document. "All members of the Senate, Mister Lazarevic inclusive, have received this extract", said Buha.

The discussion about the question of ratification of the agreement was brought up again at the very end of the session, as the last item on the agenda - deputy questions. The question put by the President of the Republic concerning the statement of the Presidency of B&H issued on 10 March this year which says that the Presidency of B&H authorizes a representative of RS to sign it was explained by the Legislative Commission. "In the speech of the President of RS, the power of precedent and violation of the Constitution of RS is warned against. We believe that the statement given on 10 March is in compliance with the Constitution determined in Dayton, which was concluded by the Commission in its unanimous decision", declared the president of the Commission. Then Ljubisa Savic, deputy of the Democratic Patriotic Block asked who was considered to be a representative of RS. The answer was: "The President of RS or a person authorized by the President, Prime Minister of RS and Minister of foreign affairs".

Savic then demanded to see the document which would prove that Biljana Plavsic had authorized Mirjanic. The Chairman of the Assembly could not offer such evidence, but said that he would as soon as he got it.

Slavko Zupljanin, deputy of the Serb Patriotic Party, resignedly reacted by saying: "This means that Biljana Plavsic is the former president of RS and that competences of RS have been transferred to B&H".

Just in order not to leave this without any comments, Kalinic said that this was not true, because no process in the direction of relieving the President of duty had been initiated. Lazarevic asked a questiion again: "How can the minister of foreign affairs be autzhorized if foreign policy had been transferred to joint institutions of B&H?"

Instead of an answer to this question, it was said that it was impossible to answer it because the question was not presented according to the procedure; it had to be sent in writing in order to be given an answer at the next session.

Along with this discussion, there was also the discussion about adoption of the budget for this year and rebalance of the last year's. Representatives of the SMP had a series of complaints especially because the Prime Minister and the Minister of finance were not present. Nenad Bastinac believes the budget to be unrealistic because the 87.36 per cent increase was impractical. Dragoljub Trivanovic, a deputy of the SMP expressed the opinion that illegal labour had to be abolished. "Until certain 'businessmen' rise above institutions of the system, the budget cannot be realized", Trivanic believes. There were also complaints because of low resources for the Army of RS. Nenad Buckovic, deputy of the SMP, presented an interesting proposal about the deputies refusing their pay which would bring 600 thousand dinars to the budget, as well as restructuring of resources for some state agencies amounting to 10 per cent.

After the discussion, the budget was adopted with majority of 40 votes in favour, 10 votes against and 11 abstentions. The rebalance of last year's budget was adopted with the same number of votes.

After that, the Law on the Senate of RS was also adopted without the amendment of SMP which proposed that the mandate of the senators be shortened from seven to five years and also to prevent them from holding high state posts. The proposal of the SDA which demanded that the Senate be prevented from discussing foreign policy of RS was also rejected, although this was within competence of the state of B&H.

The situation in the judiciary of RS was also discussed - from item 8 to 14. Insufficient protection of judges was stressed, and the difficult situation in all segments of the judiciary, which affects their work and efficiency, and their independence. All proposals referring to these items were adopted unanimously along with amendments and supplements ordering the Government of RS to find resources for improvement of the material conditions of the employees of the judiciary, and proposal for establishment of specialized courts and penitentiaries.

"We believe that the draft law on amendment of the law on Serb citizenship is violation of the Dayton accords and obstruction of the work of the joint commission of B&H on elaboration of the new law on citizenship of B&H", said head of the group of deputies of the SDA, ZL and SzB&H, insisting that the Law be taken off the agenda, because, as he added, it annuls Article 7 of the Dayton accords on return of refugees. He also had complaints against the '92 law which defines RS as a state which did not reflect the actual situation according to him.

Proposals were refused with a majority of votes, but the amendment according to which citizenship would be granted by 30 June to all those who expressed a wish to live in RS was adopted with a majority of votes.

Adption of a series of laws followed: on agricultural inspection, electric company, power balance, civil defence, hunting, protection of animals, waters, republican reserves and the proposal on nomination of judges and the president of the republican electoral commission.

ENTREFILET

For the first time, Slobodan Gutic, deputy of the Democratic Patriotic Block appeared at the session. He took the oath of allegiance verifying in this way his mandate at the National Assembly of RS. Marko Arsovic and Vitomir Popovic took oaths as judges of the Constitutional Court of RS.

Igor Gajic