Ruling Socialists turn against Vojvodina statute

The ruling Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) MPs will not vote in favor of adopting the draft Vojvodina statute in parliament. SPS leader Ivica Dacic, who is also first deputy prime minister and interior minister in the Cvetkovic cabinet, said today that while he is not against Vojvodina's autonomy, the party MPs "will not vote for a state within a state". Ruling Socialists turn against Vojvodina statute This comes a day after the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) Holy Synod expressed its concern over the draft. In a letter sent to President Boris Tadic, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic and Parliament Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, the Church voiced its fear that Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity would be violated with attempts to make the autonomous province of Vojvodina "a state within a state". The letter warned that "some forms of statehood were granted to the province of Vojvodina under the proposed new statute". Tadic's press office confirmed that the letter had arrived, and said that it already received a number of other letters in favor and against the proposed new statute of Vojvodina, including that signed by Serbian Orthodox Metropolitan Amfilohije. Other letters arrived from citizens, NGOs and institutions. "There were those in favor and against the provisions of the Vojvodina Statute," Tanjug news agency reported. On Saturday, Djukic-Dejanovic decided to forward the letter to parliamentary committees which will decide on the next steps. She explained that her decision was based on every citizen's and every institution's right to express their opinion on any of the issues that parliament deals with. But representatives of Vojvodina say the Church is violating the Constitution, and remind that there is a clear separation of Church and state in Serbia. Democratic Party (DS) Vojvodina Board President Dusan Elezovic commented by saying that he is confident that parliament "will not accept" the SPC letter. "There is no possibility for the Church, Orthodox or any other, to interfere in the work of the state and state organs," he said. Another ruling coalition official, United Serbia (JS) leader Dragan Markovic Palma reacted on Saturday by saying that the best solution would be a referendum where citizens in Vojvodina would decide on the draft document. "I believe that economic decentralization of Vojvodina is sufficient, which now has seven percent of the Serbian budget, while the draft statute goes toward territorial decentralization, which is not good," said Markovic. Meanwhile Radovan Bigovic, professor at the Belgrade Seminary, points out that the Church has a right to express its opinion just as any individual, with the Vojvodina statute issue being very important. Political analyst Zoran Stojiljkovic agrees that the Church has a legitimate right to have its say on the questions of importance for the state and society. He however warned that there are "problematic elements" in the letter, and continued that those are "the tone of an ultimatum, without further argumentation, and the list of addresses the Synod sent its stance to", as well as "that it could introduce a rift, for example among the Orthodox believers in Vojvodina". Also in Belgrade on Saturday, the opposition Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) called for a new draft to be made, replacing the one this party sees as unconstitutional. Pajtic: Important task Vojvodina Executive Council President Bojan Pajtic said on Friday that the adoption of the Vojvodina statute was a very important state task for Serbia. He added that he had not received a letter from the SPC. "I have been informed that the Serbian Orthodox Church Holy Synod has sent a letter to state leaders voicing the view that the Vojvodina statute should not be adopted," Pajtic said in a statement for the media. He said that neither he nor other officials in Vojvodina had received the letter and therefore he could only reiterate that the adoption of the Vojvodina statute and its harmonization with the Law on Competences of the Province was a very important state task for Serbia.

Ruling Socialists turn against Vojvodina statute

This comes a day after the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) Holy Synod expressed its concern over the draft.

In a letter sent to President Boris Tadić, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković and Parliament Speaker Slavica Đukić-Dejanović, the Church voiced its fear that Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity would be violated with attempts to make the autonomous province of Vojvodina "a state within a state".

The letter warned that "some forms of statehood were granted to the province of Vojvodina under the proposed new statute".

Tadić's press office confirmed that the letter had arrived, and said that it already received a number of other letters in favor and against the proposed new statute of Vojvodina, including that signed by Serbian Orthodox Metropolitan Amfilohije.

Other letters arrived from citizens, NGOs and institutions.

"There were those in favor and against the provisions of the Vojvodina Statute," Tanjug news agency reported.

On Saturday, Đukić-Dejanović decided to forward the letter to parliamentary committees which will decide on the next steps.

She explained that her decision was based on every citizen's and every institution's right to express their opinion on any of the issues that parliament deals with.

But representatives of Vojvodina say the Church is violating the Constitution, and remind that there is a clear separation of Church and state in Serbia.

Democratic Party (DS) Vojvodina Board President Dušan Elezović commented by saying that he is confident that parliament "will not accept" the SPC letter.

"There is no possibility for the Church, Orthodox or any other, to interfere in the work of the state and state organs," he said.

Another ruling coalition official, United Serbia (JS) leader Dragan Marković Palma reacted on Saturday by saying that the best solution would be a referendum where citizens in Vojvodina would decide on the draft document.

"I believe that economic decentralization of Vojvodina is sufficient, which now has seven percent of the Serbian budget, while the draft statute goes toward territorial decentralization, which is not good," said Marković.

Meanwhile Radovan Bigović, professor at the Belgrade Seminary, points out that the Church has a right to express its opinion just as any individual, with the Vojvodina statute issue being very important.

Political analyst Zoran Stojiljković agrees that the Church has a legitimate right to have its say on the questions of importance for the state and society.

He however warned that there are "problematic elements" in the letter, and continued that those are "the tone of an ultimatum, without further argumentation, and the list of addresses the Synod sent its stance to", as well as "that it could introduce a rift, for example among the Orthodox believers in Vojvodina".

Also in Belgrade on Saturday, the opposition Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) called for a new draft to be made, replacing the one this party sees as unconstitutional.

Pajtić: Important task

Vojvodina Executive Council President Bojan Pajtić said on Friday that the adoption of the Vojvodina statute was a very important state task for Serbia.

He added that he had not received a letter from the SPC.

"I have been informed that the Serbian Orthodox Church Holy Synod has sent a letter to state leaders voicing the view that the Vojvodina statute should not be adopted," Pajtić said in a statement for the media.

He said that neither he nor other officials in Vojvodina had received the letter and therefore he could only reiterate that the adoption of the Vojvodina statute and its harmonization with the Law on Competences of the Province was a very important state task for Serbia.