Raised voices at 5th meeting between authorities and opposition: Here's what it was about (PHOTO)

The Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade (FPN) in Belgrade today hosted the 5th authorities-opposition conversation, this time addressing the problems of the electoral roll and electoral administration.

RAISED VOICES

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Executive Director of the Open Society Foundation Milan Antonijevic said that readiness was expressed at today's meeting between the authorities and opposition representatives at the Faculty of Political Sciences (FPN) in Belgrade to discuss the effects of previous meetings at the FPN with the Serbian Government Working Group on Electoral Conditions.

Stating that there were raised voices at the meeting dedicated to the electoral roll, although it was a technical topic, he said that the readiness of the participants to continue the talks and to organize a public hearing on the work of REM (electronic media regulator) had been reiterated.

He said there was talk about which ministries could implement the dialogue recommendations and about the involvement of representatives of those departments in subsequent meetings.

He announced the next meeting for September 19 on the subject of voter rights and expressed hope that given the importance of the topic, parties that boycott the dialogue would change their mind and return to the discussions at the FPN.

Photo: Marko Jovanovic

WHO ATTENDED THE MEETING?

The meeting was attended by representatives from the ruling majority, Vladimir Orlic and Vladimir Djukanovic from the SNS, Djordje Milicevic of the SPS, and Branimir Jovanovic from the SDPS.

Also present were Petar Miletic and Pavle Grbovic from the PSG, Rade Veljanovski from the Civic Democratic Forum, Djordjo Zujovic from the LDP, Aleksandar Marton from the LSV, representatives of the Party of Modern Serbia and SDA Sandzak.

Once again, the meeting was not attended by representatives of the Alliance for Serbia (SzS), in line with an earlier decision to boycott the elections.

Photo: Tanjug/Tanja Valic

There were no representative of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) today, who will not boycott the elections, but did not attend the previous September 5 meeting.

Also present at the event were Executive Director of the Open Society Foundation Milan Antonijevic, mediator of the dialogue, as well as representatives of CRTA, Transparency Serbia's Nemanja Nenadic, and CeSID's Bojan Klacar.

Photo: Tanjug/Tanja Valic

So far, in addition to the introductory meeting, three thematic panels have been organized - on the financing of election campaigns and the media in the electoral process.

The invitation received by political parties for today's meeting stated that it would be dedicated to an area where it's possible to find "satisfactory permanent or transitional solutions in the run-up to the next parliamentary, provincial and local elections."

Organizers stressed that a reliable voter list and the integrity of the administration are crucial to ensuring citizens' rights to a fair and free election.

The Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade and the Open Society Foundation are organizing a series of round-tables on parliamentary and local elections, which should be held in the spring of 2020.

(Telegraf.rs)