European Forum

Serbian Parliament ratifies Vojvodina statute

More than a year after its adoption by the government, Parliament approved the statute of Serbia's northern province of Vojvodina. 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 MPs who were present during the vote, 138 voted in favour of the bill. The opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) joined the ruling coalition to support the bill.

Autonomous province
After the adoption of the Socialists' amendments last month, Vojvodina is defined by the statute as an autonomous province and an integral 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. Novi Sad, moreover, is no longer defined as the capital, but as the chief administrative centre. The statute -which is the highest legal act governing the province of Vojvodina- will come into effect once it gets confirmed by the Vojvodina assembly and published in Vojvodina's offical gazette. The decision for its implementation must be supported by a two-third majority in the provincial assembly.

The law has been months in the making. The Vojvodina assembly adopted on 7 November changes to the draft law.

Objections
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.

Despite the changes, some parties remain 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 pleased with new status
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.


Sources: SETimes; Balkan Insight; B92