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Expert conference

”Dilemmas and Challenges of Parliamentarism”

Scientific conference

An international scientific conference entitled ”Dilemmas and Challenges of Parliamentarism” was held at the Faculty of Political Sciences on June 6th and 7th, and organized by the Faculty of Political Sciences and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

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Its content reflected the balance between theoretical approach and dilemmas and practical issues and challenges, enforced by participation of prominent persons from academic life, MPs, representatives of international organizations, political parties, civil society and students.

The Conference saw different approaches, from comparative, monographic-descriptive, analytical-explicative ones, to, at least in part, prospective pretension and character. Although the discussions were primarily politicological and oriented toward the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, they also tackled other, particularly sociological, legal and cultural aspects and dimensions. Presentations submitted by the participants and the discussion have led to a common conclusion that in our society - neither in scientific nor in broader public – the consciousness about the importance of this issue is still not enough developed, and that the development of the idea and practice of Parliamentarism in Serbia after the renewal of the multiparty system has not been followed by adequate theoretical discussions, empirical research or appropriate professional literature. Among else, it has been stated that contemporary Parliamentarism, in general, is facing with challenges of globalization, that it is exposed to waves of prevailing of executive power (government) and instrumentalized by political parties which transform it into the tool of the government. Parliamentary elections are in practice indirect or semi-indirect, in spite the Constitution’s stipulating them as direct. The relation between the will of citizens and the autonomy of MPs has not been adequately solved. Performance and internal capacities of parliamentary organs and bodies are not on an appropriate level. Many functions of the parliament have weakened – from control of the government to the representative function. Decisions are not made on the basis of better arguments in debate, but on the grounds of will of the ruling majority. In order to function autonomously and independently, the parliament must be furnished with adequate resources and instruments (budget, personnel, equipment). The Conference significantly contributed moving this topic from the margin to the center of interest. The planned publishing of the book with presentations from the Conference shall at least in part fill in that gap and contribute deepening the knowledge about Parliamentarism. The basic approach in overcoming such condition requires joint work of the Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Faculty of Political Sciences and other referential institutions which missions include capacity building and offering of such kind of assistance. This conference is a contribution to improvement of functioning and capacity building of the Assembly and its bodies.

International Scientific Conference

Dilemmas and Challenges of Parliamentarism

THE FPS RESEARCH PROJECT:

DEMOCRATIC CAPACITY BUILDING OF POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS

06.06.2007. 1st day of the Conference

09.30 –10.00 Opening ceremony

Milan Podunavac,

Dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences

Klaudija Nolte,

Director of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation – Belgrade Office and former

Minister in the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany

Chairperson of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia

10.00 - 13.30 Part 1: PARLIAMENTARISM AND DEMOCRACY

Moderator: Slaviša Orlović

PRESENTATIONS, 10 minutes per participant

Vučina Vasović, Faculty of Political Sciences, Belgrade

Dilemmas and Challenges of Parliamentarism

Dragoljub Mićunović, former Chairperson of the Parliament of Serbia and

Montenegro,

Establishment of Parliamentary Dignity

Drago Zajc, Faculty of Political Sciences, President of the Slovenian Association

of Political Scientists, Ljubljana

Internal Structure and Democratic Potentials of Parliament

DISCUSSION, 60 minutes

PRESENTATIONS, 10 minutes per participant

Vesna Pusić, Vice-President of the Croatian Parliament, Zagreb

Parliament and Democratic Transition,

Srđan Darmanović, Dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences, Podgorica

Parliamentarism and/or Presidentialism

Vukašin Pavlović, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences, Belgrade

Democratic Capacities of State and Parliamentary Life

DISCUSSION, 60 minutes

13.30-14.30 lunch break

14.30-16.15 Part 2: PARLIAMENT AND SOCIETY

Moderator: Srđan Darmanović

PRESENTATIONS, 10 minutes per participant

Mirko Pejanović,Faculty of Political Sciences, Sarajevo

Parliament and Ethnic Pluralism

Čedomir Čupić, Faculty of Political Sciences, President of the Association

for Political Sciences, Belgrade

Culture of Speech in the Parliament

Dragan Vukčević, Faculty of Law, Podgorica

Political Culture and Parliamentary Debates

DISCUSSION, 60 minutes

16.15-18.00 Part 3: PARLIAMENT, PARTIES AND POLITICAL SYSTEM

Moderator: Ilija Vujačić

PRESENTATIONS, 10 minutes per participant

Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, Faculty of Law, Skopje

Parliament and Political System

Vladimir Goati, Institute of Social Sciences, Belgrade

Parliamentarism and Party System

Zoran Stojiljković,Faculty of Political Sciences, Belgrade

Political Parties and Parliament

DISCUSSION, 60 minutes

07.06.2007. 2nd day of the Conference

09.00- 11.30 Part 4: FUNCTIONS AND WORK OF THE PARLIAMENT

Moderator: Vučina Vasović

PRESENTATIONS, 10 minutes per participant

Slaviša Orlović, Faculty of Political Sciences, Belgrade

Parliamentary Competences

Marijana Pajvančić, Faculty of Law, Belgrade

Parliamentary Legislative Procedure

Irena Pejić, Faculty of Law, Nis

Control Function of Parliament

Jim Seroka, Auburn University, USA

Professionalizing Staff and Technical Resources for Pre- Accession Legislatures: Needs,

Advantages and Concerns,

Jovan Komšić, Faculty of Economics, Subotica

Unicameral or Bicameral Parliment in Pluralistic Society?

DISCUSSION, 75 minutes

11.30 - 13.15 Part 5: LEGISLATIVE, EXECUTIVE AND JUDICIAL POWER

Moderator: Čedomir Čupić

PRESENTATIONS: 10 minutes per participant

Slobodan Vučetić, former Chief-Justice of the Constitutional Court of Serbia, Belgrade

Parliamentarism and Judiciary

Zoran Tomić, Faculty of Law, Belgrade

Parliament and Executive Administrative Apparatus

Slobodan Marković, Faculty of Political Sciences, Belgrade

Historical Development of Parliamentarism in Serbia

DISCUSSION, 60 minutes

13.15 – 14.30 Lunch break

14.30 – 17.30 Part 6: PARLIMANETARISM IN SERBIA

Moderator: Milan Podunavac

PRESENTATIONS, 10 minutes per participant

Klaudija Nolte

Director of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation – Belgrade Office and former

Minister in the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany

Work and Role of Parliament in Developed Democratic Society

  • Representatives of political parties and deputies groups
(Democratic Party, Democratic Party of Serbia, G17+ and LDP)

DISCUSSION, 60 minutes

17.30 Conclusion of the Conference

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Venue

Belgrad

Contact

Gordana Pilipović

Gordana Pilipović bild

Project Coordinator

Gordana.Pilipovic@kas.de +381 11 4024-163 +381 11 4024-163

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