Constitutional Court asked to look at UAE deal

Constitutional Court asked to look at UAE deal

BELGRADE -- A motion has been filed asking the Constitutional Court to assess a law that ratified an agreement on cooperation between Serbia and the United Arab Emirates.

The motion was submitted on Friday in Begrade by Vladimir Todorić, a member of the presidency of the opposition Democratic Party (DS).

The Democrats request that the Court should suspend the implementation of all individual legal documents arising from the agreement pending the final ruling on the constitutionality of the law.

"We want to put an end to the complete sell-off of state resources, which is being done in total contravention of the national legislation and regulations," Todorić said in a statement to reporters.

Asked whether, if the Constitutional Court declared this law unconstitutional, the contracts would be declared null and void, Todorić said that in that case the situation would be resolved in legal and economic terms following the decision.

"It is important that the damage is prevented and reduced to the lowest possible level," he said.

Todorić noted that the law that the DS is challenging envisages the complete circumvention of domestic regulations and national legislation in cases when the government deems it necessary, and stressed that this has been the case with Air Serbia, the sale of agricultural land to the Al Rafaved company, the hotel at Mt. Kopaonik and the Belgrade Waterfront project.

By filing the motion, the DS offered an opportunity to the Constitutional Court to defend the integrity of the state institutions and domestic justice system, as Serbia is not "an emirate of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS)" (the main party of the...