Serbian parliament ratifies Vojvodina statute

01/12/2009

Despite opposition, parliament ratified the statute of Serbia's northern province of Vojvodina.

By Igor Jovanovic for Southeast European Times in Belgrade -- 01/12/09

Vojvodina. [File]

More than a year after its adoption by the government, parliament approved the Vojvodina statute on Monday (November 30th). The delay in ratification was due to objections both from members of the ruling coalition and the opposition, who felt the statute violated the constitution and gave too much authority to the northern Serbia province.

Out of 163 parliament members who were present during the vote, 138 voted in favour of the bill, according to Serbian state news agency Tanjug.

The opposition's main objections were that the statute designated the biggest town in Vojvodina -- Novi Sad -- as the capital, and that it allowed the province to open its representative offices abroad, close agreements with other regions and form its own Academy of Sciences and Arts.

After the adoption of the Socialists' amendments last month, Vojvodina is defined by the statute as an autonomous province and an inseparable part of Serbia. The amendments also stipulate that Vojvodina can open representative offices in European regions and in Brussels, with consent from the Serbian government, and Novi Sad is no longer defined as the capital, but as the chief administrative centre.

Despite the changes, the opposition remains dissatisfied. Former Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica of the Democratic Party of Serbia says the fact that the statute still contained the provision on a referendum on the territory of Vojvodina is dangerous for Serbia's integrity. The party plans to seek the Constitutional Court's opinion on the matter.

Other authorities waved off such concerns.

Vojvodina Assembly Speaker Sandor Egeresi says the ruling coalition demonstrated political maturity by passing the statute, adding that it is only the beginning of decentralisation and regionalisation in Serbia.

Head of the Vojvodina administration and Democratic Party Vice-President Bojan Pajtic dismissed accusations that the new statute is separatist. "Vojvodina will now have more autonomy, but still less than other regions in Europe," Pajtic said during the debate.

Socialist Party leader and Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said that amendments to the statute "are the greatest defeat of autonomy advocates after two decades", as "their concept of Vojvodina as a republic" had failed. He added that Serbia would never let Vojvodina step out of its territory.