Anti-Corruption Agency Director Zorana Markovic on July 29 called on President Boris Tadic not to sign the amendments to the law on that agency, saying that they seriously brought "into question the democratic control of the government."

Markovic said at a press conference in Belgrade that the amendments to the Law on the Anti-Corruption Agency were unsatisfactory because they also contained an amendment under which councillors and republic and Vojvodinian officials could hold any other office until the end of their mandate.

In the first version of the law, which has been in effect since Jan. 1, officials with several functions had until April 1 to decide which they would perform and register that with the Anti-Corruption Agency.

"If the Serbian president signs the amendments to the law, then we will send an initiative to the Constitutional Court asking for an evaluation of the constitutionality and legality of the law," said Markovic. She added that the Anti-Corruption Agency would also turn to international organizations, such as the European Union, OSCE and the United Nations' department for crime and corruption.

Markovic warned that by allowing councillors and republic and Vojvodinian officials to perform any other function until the end of their mandate, the agency's ability to work was being "seriously disrupted."

"The [Anti-Corruption] Agency will continue to operate and will continue to control the assets of officials and to develop integrity plans," said the director, adding that the agency would be able to operate more easily if there were political will to support it.

Markovic said that the agency would also work according to the amended law if it were to go into effect, but she hoped that the Constitutional Court would quickly respond to an appeal stating that such amendments were unconstitutional and illegal.