„I am aware that you have just taken office as the President of the Assembly, but the very position you hold carries a special responsibility to consistently respect the Statute of the Capital City and the Rules of Procedure of the Capital City Assembly in every action. Namely, from the content of your letter, it follows that you, acting as the President of the Assembly, have submitted a proposal to the executive authority of the Capital City that has not gone through the procedure prescribed by the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly. The competencies of the President of the Assembly are clearly defined by the Rules of Procedure, and none of them imply the possibility of independently formalizing and submitting proposals on behalf of the highest representative body of the Capital City, outside of the Assembly’s decision,“ said Krstović.
He particularly points out the fact that the letter states that it is about the formalization of a civic initiative. However, the Statute of the Capital City explicitly stipulates in Article 54, paragraph 1, point 15 that the Assembly of the Capital City decides on civic initiatives. In other words, the decision-making on civic initiatives, as he says, is not the competence of the President of the Assembly, but exclusively of the Assembly as a collective body.
„As a councilor, I have not received the subject civic initiative for consideration. Based on what you stated in your letter, I believe that the reasons mentioned in it could be grounds for serious consideration, and it is very possible that I would support such an initiative if it were submitted and considered in accordance with the prescribed procedure. However, the justification of the initiative itself cannot be a reason to bypass the Statute and the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly.
It is particularly important to keep in mind that one of the basic obligations of the President of the Assembly is to ensure the application and respect of the Rules of Procedure. Precisely for this reason, I believe that any deviation from the prescribed procedure, regardless of the motives, represents a precedent that does not contribute to the protection of the institutional integrity of the Capital City Assembly,“ said Krstović.
He emphasizes that his address is not aimed at political polemics or personal criticism, but at pointing out the need for consistent respect for the principles of legality and institutional order.
„I am convinced that we will all best serve the interests of the citizens if we consistently respect the rules that govern the work of the Assembly,“ said Krstović.
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