Serbia’s public prosecutor: Another six-year mandate for ‘invisible woman’

N1

Serbia's current Public Prosecutor Zagorka Dolovac, was elected for the third time on Wednesday, meaning she would hold the post for the straight 18 years, despite being described by the opposition as "an invisible woman who doesn't do her job."

Her first two years in office were under the previous regime led by the nationalist Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), which ruled the country from 2004 to 2012 when President Aleksandar Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) won the general elections.

The current Parliament voted overwhelmingly for her re-election with 168 in favour and three absentees out of 250 MPs.

The reasoning for another six years in the office said Dolovac had made the fight against crime her priority, particularly against challenging and contemporary forms.

She has also improved the efficiency of criminal proceedings through the prosecutors’ investigations, plea agreements, and opportunities and strengthened international cooperation, the reasoning has added.

Dolovac, has been the only candidate. The opposition has often described her as „an invisible woman, who doesn’t interfere with her job.“

But, the ruling MPs have praised Dolovac for her „great work,“ even saying „no one dared to challenge her for the post,“ thus answering public and experts’ questions about her not having any competition.

The opposition has complained for months that Dolovac, who is very rarely seen in public, has not reacted to many scandals and violations of the law.

Indeed, she hasn’t made her voice public in many high-profile corruption affairs in the country, which experts believe should have to be initiated ex officio.

That made Marinika Tepic, a deputy leader of the opposition Party of Freedom and Justice (SSP) to report her „disappearance“ to Interpol.

related news

 

Dolovac’s re-election may affect Serbia’s accession negotiations with the European Union related to the rule of law and the judiciary reforms.