Serbian MPs Argue over new security service law

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Serbian MPs engaged in a heated debate on Wednesday over a set of draft laws on the military and the country’s civilian intelligence agency (BIA).

Opposition MPs object to the new law on the BIA (the Security Intelligence Agency) which would allow the agency chief a free reign in employing staff and deciding on their salaries and promotions.

“There is a clear intention of the [ruling Serbian Progressive Party] SNS to place all the security services, the policy and military and BIA under the control of [Serbian President] Aleksandar Vucic, [Defense Minister] Aleksandar Vulin, [BIA Director] Bratislav Gasic and [Internal Affairs Minister] Nebojsa Stefanovic,” Democratic Party (DS) MP Radoslav Milojicic said.  

The DS wants the draft law withdrawn, fearing that once adopted it will give Gasic the power to give jobs in the BIA to party activists. “That is how a party agency is created,” Milojicic said.  

SNS MP Vladimir Djukanovic disagrees. “That’s nonsense spoken by people who know nothing about this and who have not read the laws in detail,” he said and added that no one anywhere in the world would advertise for security service agents because that is information that could be used by foreign services to infiltrate their own agents.