Отварање и функционисање канцеларија народних посланика у Србији
Opening and Functioning of MP Offices in Serbia

Summary/Abstract: MP Offices (constituency offices) are corrective of free parliamentary mandate and an instrument for ensuring parliament transparency. MPs remain independent bearers of freedom of thought and freedom of speech in the parliament and are not required to act in accordance with the opinion of the voters. But the contact with the voters enables them to recognize the concerns of citizens, their requests made to the legislature and on this basis to formulate legislative proposals, proposed amendments to the existing laws and other acts that should be brought under the jurisdiction of the legislature. The opening of MP offices in Serbia started the 2009 with the support of Nacionalnolnog Democratic Institute (NDI). Today in our country there are more than 30 offices of MPs. Our analysis of MP offices which have been opened in Serbia untill now includes several dimensions: the cities and municipalities where they have been established, the number of assistants engaged in each of them, the premises where they are placed, hours of operation, number of members who participate in the office, their age, sex structure and party affiliation. Offices of MPs have been established in 25 cities and municipalities. In Belgrade there are 8 of them, in Nis 4, and in Novi Sad and Kragujevac 2. However, it should be noted that some medium sized cities, although they have more seats in parliament, have not yet established the MP offices. Among them are Kraljevo, Cacak and Smederevo. Number of assistants engaged in offices range from one to 15 periodically hired assistants. Offices of MPs can be placed in various locations: in the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, in premises provided by the local government, in the premises of a party at whose suggestion the MP was elected and in the office which lease is financed from other sources. In the vast majority of MP offices only one MP is engaged. The offices in Zrenjanin and Novi Pazar present a good example because there cooperate several MPs who do not live in the same place, and who are the members of different both positional and opposition political parties. In proportion to their number in parliament, the most active were MPs who were born between 1940 and 1949, and the least active were the youngest, born in the '70s and '80s. If you explore the gender structure of the parliament, again in proportion to the number of male and female MPs, it can be concluded that male MPs are 44.4% more engaged in the establishment of the office in respect of their female colleagues. In proportion to the number of members of parliamentary groups, members of PUPS were the most active, and the least active were MPs of Serbian Renewal Movement - Christian Democratic Party of Serbia. Also, not one individual member has established a MP office. The main problem of functioning offices of MPs in Serbia, as author states, are the following: the existing electoral system, the absence of MPs from a number of municipalities and cities in Serbia. The author also points out that some improvements can be achieved under the current electoral system and a small real power of MPs. MP offices may affect the further improvement in the reputation of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia and the MPs, but only as part of a wider process that involves changing the electoral system, increasing the real power of MPs, the development of a democratic political culture.

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