Friday, 18 November 2011
The Protector of Citizens Sаšа Јаnkоvić expresses his satisfaction with the adoption of amendments to the Law on Permanent and Temporary Residence, which were voted for in the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia on 17 November, on the proposal of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, upon the initiative of the Protector of Citizens. Those amendments allow the citizens who do not fulfil the requirements for registering their permanent address to obtain personal documents and thus to be in the position to exercise a set of other rights and interests.
“Slоbоdаn Јоvаnоvić from Belgrade is the most deserving citizen for the adoption of the legislation that will enable thousands of people to obtain their ID cards and thus exercise a series of other rights. His perseverance and determination to fulfill his constitutionally guaranteed right to personal documents has forced all state authorities to finally begin to address the problem that had existed for half a century. For that reason, this is a victory of citizens over the state’s rigidity and inertia“, believes the Protector of Citizens Sаšа Јаnkоvić.
The first agreement about the way of solving the problems of citizens without an ID card was reached at the meeting held on 31 August by the Protector of Citizens Sаšа Јаnkоvić with the Minister of Internal Affairs Ivicа Dаčić.
In the following three months after the adoption of the law, it is necessary that the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Minister of Labour and Social Policy adopt the by-laws required for proper application of the law. The first concrete results of legislative changes are expected at that time.