“Citizens do not have full insight into the violation of legal regulations in the process of financing the election campaign, nor can they get an answer to questions of whether and to what extent funds from various budget sources are misused, as institutions are not sufficiently engaged in resolving this issue and establishing facts“, is the conclusion of the debate “Who’s paying and who’s controlling?“ organised by CRTA within the Festival of Democracy.
Strongly believing that democracy is more powerful than the challenges it faces, this year together with our partners we organize the first Festival of Democracy from 13th to 15th September in Belgrade and many towns across Serbia, aiming to boost optimism and reinforce trust in democracy.
Civil society organisations propose to Members of Parliament to make use of the presence of the candidate, Milan Marinović, for the new Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection at the National Assembly session beginning today and therefore help the public determine what are the attitudes of the candidate regarding the resolution of key problems in the areas of his future work.
In order to contribute to the initiation of the democratic functioning of the Parliament, the CRTA has made 46 recommendations relating to the process of adopting laws, strengthening parliamentary control over the executive, increasing public involvement and improving cooperation with independent institutions.
The process in which the Committee for Culture and Information proposed to the National Assembly Milan Marinović for the new Commissioner for Information of Public Importance Personal Data Protection did not ensure that the choice between the candidates be based on the assessment and comparison of their qualifications, previous specific experience in the fields within the competence of the Commissioner and work plans.
More than 80 civil society organisations, media, business, professional and scientific communities’ representatives are urging MPs to support Nevena Ružić as a candidate for the new Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection. We are firmly convinced that Nevena Ružić possesses the expertise, experience and integrity necessary for managing the institution of the Commissioner.
The meeting between six representatives of civil society organizations from the region and the ministers of foreign affairs of the countries of the Western Balkans and the European Union, was held from 3rd to 5th July at the 2019 Western Balkans Summit in Poznan, within the Berlin Process initiative.
Civil society organisations urge the Committee for Culture and Information of the National Assembly to withdraw a requirement from calls to the parliamentary groups regarding nominations of candidates for the election of the new Commissioner for Information of Public Importance Personal Data Protection, which forbids that the candidate be employed in another state body at the time of proposing for the function, as that is not stipulated by law.
Since June 2012, Open Parliament informs citizens on the work of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, monitors MPs activities and events in the Assembly. In seven years, 1057 laws were adopted in 682 working days in the plenary which were analysed, more than 250,000 MPs speeches were published, almost 300 law abstracts, over 30 surveys on parliamentary processes and the work of the Assembly, and more than 900 citizens questions were collected.
