The Commissioner for Protection of Equality, in the proceedings upon the complaint filed by the president of the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party, Hungarian Movement and the Hungarian Civic Alliance, has issued the opinion that in the procedure of selection of Mayor, Deputy Mayor and members of the Municipal Council, the Municipal Assembly of Senta committed discrimination on gender basis, thus violating provisions of the Law on Gender Equality and the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination.

The Law on Gender Equality stipulates that gender equality is to be ensured when running for election to all functions and appointment to public authorities, financial and other institutions. Municipal Assembly of Senta did not prove that in the selection of members of the municipal executive authorities it had respected the principle of gender equality and enabled the candidates of both genders to participate in the election of holders of executive power, so that among the elected, there was not a single female person.

The Municipal Assembly of Senta has been recommended to eliminate the consequences of discriminatory practice in the selection of members of the executive municipal authorities and to ensure gender equality and exercising of equal possibilities, to promote gender equality within its jurisdiction and tasks in connection with gender equality, as well as to take care in the future not to violate the anti-discrimination rules when performing duties from its purview.

Given that the Municipal Assembly of Senta did not act on the recommendation, the Commissioner for Protection of Equality, Ms Brankica Janković, hereby notifies the public accordingly, pursuant to the Law on Prohibition of discrimination.