No grounds to propose special law on Belgrade Waterfront

BELGRADE - Ombudsman Sasa Jankovic has expressed hope that a government-proposed special law (lex specialis) on implementing the Belgrade Waterfront project will be debated by regular parliamentary procedure.

For both formal and substantial reasons, the bill should not be debated by urgent procedure because "it is not formally known that any unforeseeable circumstances have arisen in this matter that are a condition for adopting a law by urgent procedure," the ombudsman said in a statement published on his official website on Wednesday.

Essentially, a "special law" in a capital matter encroaches upon the citizens' constitutionally-guaranteed right to peaceful use of property, and in such a manner that sets a precedent, the statement also said.

By proposing a lex specialis, the government seeks to establish a basis for expropriation of real estate properties to build the Belgrade Waterfront business and residential complex that does not exist in the Expropriation Law, Jankovic said.

With compensation, citizens are stripped of their real estate properties without their will, the ombudsman explained.

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