Serbia’s authorities say haven’t seen opposition paper for inter-party dialogue

IVICA DAČIĆ
Tanjug/Miloš Milivojević

The Belgarde FoNet news agency published a draft final agreement for the inter-party dialogue mediated by the European Parliament (EP) signed by the leaders of six Serbian opposition parties and movements on Tuesday, but later in the day, Parliament Speaker Ivica Dacic said neither he nor the ruling coalition parties had received the opposition’s proposal on improving election conditions.

The draft, authored by the Party of Freedom and Justice (SSP), Democratic Party (DS), Movement of Free Citizens (PSG), Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)own movement, Together for Serbia and Movement for Change was sent to the European Parliament. The parties called MEPs involved in facilitating the dialogue between the authorities and opposition to take a clear stand on their proposals. “We will decide on the next steps in the inter-party dialogue based on your stand,” the opposition party leaders said.

Dijalog, pregovori, opozicija, vlast, evroparlamentarci, Tanja Fajon, Vladimir Bilčik, Knut Flekenštajn, dogovor, izbori,
Beta/Milan Obradović

However, Dacic later told the Belgarde independent Danas daily that neither the MEPs who facilitated the negotiations nor the opposition sent him the document.

N1 English brings you the full text of the letter and draft agreement:

Due to the deep political crisis and the high level of distrust in the regularity of the election process, and based on a proposal from the representatives of the European Parliament,

WE ADOPT THE FOLLOWING AGREEMENT ON FREE ELECTIONS

To ensure equal access to the media, media pluralism, professional standards and ethical principles, a COORDINATION BODY FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION (“KOORDINACIONO TELO ZA JAVNO INFORMISANJE”; (NATIONAL BODY FOR FACTUAL INFORMATION)) (hereinafter KTI) with executive powers is formed. The KTI will start working no later than 15 days from the day of acceptance of the Agreement and will be formed at least 6 months before the next elections.

COMPOSITION OF KTI: The members of the KTI are representatives of political entities that defined this Agreement within the dialogue under the auspices of the European Parliament, which includes the same number of government and opposition representatives and one representative per journalist associations -UNS, NUNS, NDVN. Representatives of REM, the public services and the civil sector dealing with media monitoring may be involved in the work of KTI by invitation and without the right to vote.

METHOD OF WORK AND DECISION-MAKING OF KTI: The method of work of the KTI is defined by the internal rules of procedure, and decisions are made by the majority of members present. The KTI meets at least once a week, in the building of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, open fully to the public. All meetings are also attended by representatives of the European Parliament or persons designated by them.

KTI TASKS: OPTION 1 – selection of an independent editorial team of the news program of public services – RTS and RTV, which will be proposed by representatives of journalists’ associations of members of the National Body. The deadline for this is 30 days from the day of the constitution of the

KTI. OPTION 2 – define a new program scheme in which: three times a week, representatives of the opposition that reached the Agreement will be invited on their own to show that are broadcast on the first channels of RTS and RTV for 30 minutes, between 6.30 pm and 7 pm. Three times a week, an equal number of representatives of the government and the opposition that reached the Agreement to participate in debate programs, lasting 90 minutes, which will be broadcast on the first channels of RTS and RTV, at 9 p.m.

In all news programs (Dnevnik 1, 2, 3, Vesti, Jutarnji Dnevnik, Jutarnji program, Magazin Oko…) equal representation of government representatives and the opposition signatories to the Agreement will be ensured so that the speaking times of appointed and elected government officials is weighed by 0.5 The deadline for this is 30 days from the day of constitution of KTI2. Ensure that independent media and organizations (Beta, FoNet, Istinomer, KRIK, CINS, BIRN, Vreme…) broadcast their independent content on RTS and RTV programs twice a week, in prime time. The deadline for this is 30 days from the day of the Constitution of KTI3.

Prohibit the reporting on the activities of state officials who are on the electoral lists during the campaign, except in the case of pre-planned state affairs or extraordinary circumstances within which the views of elected and appointed persons on any other topic and/or political actor will not be conveyed. The deadline for this is the beginning of the election campaign

KTI will develop Recommendations on the Obligation of Timely, Truthful and Balanced Information, which will be delivered to all registered media in Serbia. Once a week, KTI will inform the public and REM about the observance or violation of these recommendations. This report will be published in the Public Services main news (Dnevnik) program (RTS and RTV)The deadline for this is 30 days from the day of the Constitution of KTIFunds for the work of KTIwill be provided from the budget of the Republic of Serbia

To protect the integrity of the electoral process that has been compromised, and based on the guidelines of the representatives of the European Parliament, a COORDINATION BODY FOR ELECTIONS, NATIONAL BODY FOR FREE ELECTIONS (hereinafter KTSI) with executive powers is formed. This body will be constituted no later than 15 days from the day of reaching the Agreement and will start working no later than 6 months before the first next elections.

COMPOSITION OF KTSI: The members of KTSI are representatives of political entities signatories to the Agreement, with the obligation to respect the principles of equal representation of government and opposition, and with one representative each of the following organizations: CESID, CRTA and Transparency Serbia.

METHOD OF WORK AND DECISION-MAKING OF KTS

The methodof work is defined by the internal rules of procedure, and decisions are made by the majority of the members present. KTSI, includes in its work, without the right to vote, representatives of the competent ministries, RIK, GIK, the Anti-Corruption Agency, the Ombudsman, the Commissioner for the Protection of Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection, representatives of the civil sector dealing with issues of the electoral process, and trade unions. KTSI meets at least once a week, in the building of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, open fully to the public. All meetings are also attended by representatives of the European Parliament or persons designated by them.

KTSI TASKS: In order to ensure that citizens freely, without pressure and blackmail, express their political will in a fair election process, KTSI will:

1. file criminal charges against persons who abuse voter lists and thus endanger the integrity of the election process, informing the public of any such case; Deadline – now;

2. prevent the violation of the electoral will by registering voters on fake addresses; together with the Ministry of the Interior of Serbia, perform controls of all newly registered starting from January 1, 2021, and determine their actual place of residence; file criminal charges against all those involved in false reporting

3. ensure that one third of the permanent composition of RIKare representatives of the opposition that participated in the definition of the Agreement within the dialogue under the auspices of the European Parliament, with the right of the RIKto request a count of all election material; Deadline – 45 days from the constitution of KTSI;

4. appoint Commissioners for the Protection of Public Sector Employees (administrations, institutions and companies) who will prevent the following coercion of employees to: vote in accordance with blackmail by their superiors, compile lists of voters, participate in party activities, and in any other way force them to take part in the election campaign; every report of the commissioner is public; file criminal charges against those responsible. Deadline -now

5. Define a new, RIK-binding Instruction on the conduct of elections, which will take into account all recommendations of the OSCE and ODIHR, with a mandatory ban on the use of mobile phones at polling stations, as well as providing technical conditions for recording the process of sorting and counting ballots, and packaging of optional material; all minutes will be published on the REC website immediately after they are signed by the members of the polling boards. Deadline: 60 days from the day of the constitution of KTS

All criminal charges filed by KTSI will be processed by the competent prosecutor’s office within a period not exceeding 15 days. Funds for the work of KTSI will be provided from the budget of the Republic of Serbia. All political actors who have reached the Free Elections Agreement agree:

– to separate the dates of local, republican and presidential elections;

– that only someone who is a candidate from that list can be in the name of the list, as well as that only one of the candidates from that electoral list can be the holder of the electoral list.

The formation and competencies of both bodies will be defined by a lex specialis, which will be adopted no later than 15 days from the day of reaching the Agreement on Free Elections.

Freedom and Justice Party (SSP), Dragan Djilas, Leader
Democratic Party (DS). Zoran Lutovac, Leader
Free Citizens’ Movement (PSG), Pavle Grbovic, Leader
Don’t Let Belgrade Drown (NDMBGD), Dobrica Veselinovic, Spokesperson
Together for Serbia (ZZS), Nebojsa Zelenovic, Leader
Movement for Change (PZP), Janko Veselinovic, Leader