Insults bring parliament session to halt

Belgrade, September 27 (Source: B92) - Oliver Dulić adjourned today’s session of the Serbian parliament because of offensive remarks uttered by a DSS lawmaker. The parliamentary speaker decided to stop the session after Marko Jakšić, an MP from Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica’s Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), insulted Christian Democratic Party of Serbia (DHSS) leader Vladan Batić, calling him “a Gypsy in character.” The two men had already had a heated argument yestrday at a session of the Parliamentary Board for Kosovo. “At the session of the Kosovo Board, in the heat of the moment I said that Mr. Batić had a Gypsy mentality." "I would now like to apologize to the Roma people as I did not mean to offend them.

I used the term Gypsy as a personality trait of Mr. Batić,” Jakšić said trying to account for his statements. Having said that, he stepped down from the rostrum, and Dulić called a break. “It seems we have a problem on our hands now. Since we’ve just opened a serious topic here, I believe that what has been said is completely inappropriate stirring a commotion among lawmakers." "Therefore, I am calling a fine-minute break and I invite all caucus chiefs to join me in the conference room,” said the speaker.

The session resumed after half an hour, when Dulić officially reprimanded Jakšić and apologized to everyone offended by the deputy’s remarks. “I would like to apologize to all those who might be offended with what was said here, hoping these incidents will not repeat. The parliament is no place to be spouting insults at any people or nation,” he said. Batić also apologized to the Roma and responded to Jakšić’s remarks by saying, “He obviously thought that it would be a major insult to call a persona a Roma or a Gypsy." "It is horrendous that a man like him will represent us in the[Kosovo] talks," Batić, former justice minister in the Đinđić cabinet said. A deputy from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Žarko Korać, said that Jakšić should not be allowed to continue as a parliament member. “What he said was disastrous.

This man occupies important state posts and he is supposed to be representing Serbia as member of the [Kosovo] negotiating team,” Korać noted.

<<<