Transparency Serbia (TS) warned on Tuesday that the Parliament's adoption of the proposal of the Law on Prevention of Corruption as interpreted would significantly narrow the scope of application, and called on the deputies not to accept that proposal.

„Based on this ‘interpretation’, no prohibition, obligation or restriction from the law would apply to several thousand public officials, including holders of some of the key state functions. Having in mind that no explanation was given for the draft and the huge, harmful consequences it would bring, we call on the Parliament not to accept this proposal,“ TS said in a statement.

As an example, Transparency said that, if the interpretation was adopted, judges and deputy public prosecutors elected by the High Judicial Council and the State Prosecutors’ Council, the Secretary-General and other persons appointed by the President would no longer be considered officials. The same would apply to school principals appointed by the Minister of Education.

„The recklessness and absurdity of this draft are best seen in the example of the Constitutional Court, where five judges elected by the Parliament will have the status of public officials, while five appointed by the President of the Republic and five appointed at the general session of the Cassation Supreme Court would no longer have that status,“ TS’ statement said.