KPD welcomes the passing of the Antidiscriminatory law

Monday, 30 March 2009 08:37

Although the law itself is but a stepping stone in the struggle to realise the constitutional principle of the equality for all citizens, the fact that the majority of members of Serbian Parliament have not voted for the substantial alterations of the draft law is essential.

The first model of the Law against discrimination was drafted in 2001, while the Coalition harmonised this model and the model of the Law against discrimination of physically challenged in 2005. That was when the lobbying to pass both laws began. The law against discrimination of the physically challenged was passed in 2006, while the general antidiscriminatory law was not a part of the parliament agenda, although it had been submitted by Liberal Democratic Party.

After the last elections and after the government had been formed, Coalition against discrimination worked together with the Ministry for human and minority rights and The Ministry of work and social politics on making the final draft of the law.

The work entailed the broadest public debate in which all interested parties have taken part, and it lasted for almost six months. Such mutual work has been deemed the best model of cooperation between the authorities and the civil society by the international organisations and domestic public. This was especially the case after the law had been passed by the Government and passed on to the Serbian Parliament. During the public debate there were no significant objections to the version of the law directed to the Serbian parliament to be passed. Nevertheless, draft law was withdrawn from the procedure only 15 hours before the beginning of the debate and what’s more, as requested by Serbian Orthodox Church and other religious communities.

The Coalition expresses its satisfaction due to the adequate reaction of the civil society, most of the media and public during the period of 22 days, since the withdrawal of the law and the anti-passing campaign, launched by the religious communities and nationalist parties.

Although the law’s opponents had been trying to gain the support from the public by flaring up homophobia and distributing false information stating that the law applied exclusively to the LGBT population, the Coalition finds that the debate will contribute to the improvement of LGBT community’s position in the future.

Coalition against discrimination would like to remind the public that, among other things, the law forbids hate speech, associating with the aim to discriminate, religious discrimination, discrimination in court cases, discrimination in the field of work, discrimination in giving public services and the use of premises and land, discrimination in education and skill acquisition, discrimination based on sex, discrimination based on sexual orientation, discrimination of children, discrimination based on the age, discrimination of national minorities, discrimination due to political and union membership, discrimination of physically challenged and discrimination based on health.

We are urging the president of Serbia to make up the Decree which would pronounce the law without any delay. Furthermore, we expect the government to calculate in advance the financial means as well as the premises for the Trustee for the protection of equality, as established by the law. We expect the Parliament to elect the Trustee within time period established by article 61. of the Antidiscriminatory law.

Coalition against discrimination consists of Centre for the advance of legal studies, Swedish Helsinki Committee for human rights, Antitrafficking centre, Association of students with special needs, Youth initiative for human rights, GayStraight alliance, Labris - organisation for lesbian human rights, Network of boards for human rights CHRIS, Gayten and Initiative for inclusion VelikiMali.

Translation: Milica Jeremić

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