Hungarian leader expects Constitution to be "redefined"

Hungarian leader expects Constitution to be "redefined"

The leader of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM) spoke for B92 TV on Tuesday to say his party will sign a coalition agreement with the Progressives (SNS) tomorrow, and that it was "logical that all those who will form the majority will put their signature on the paper."

Explaining why the SVM did not seek ministerial positions in the new government, even though this offer was on the table, Pastor said that the party as an organization of regional importance did not want to change the focus of its policy, and that it was "out of the question" that the decision was made out of desire to avoid responsibility.

He reiterated that the SVM was interested in having state secretaries in departments dealing with infrastructure, health, social affairs, agriculture and industry, and that the party wanted its officials to serve as deputy chairs to parliamentary committees for EU integration and agriculture.

Pastor also said there was an agreement "in principle" that would allow the SVM to have its officials in the diplomatic service, and that "except in embassies," the number of people in that sector in the past 25 years coming from the Hungarian and other ethnic communities was far below their share in the population, and their participation in state-owned companies, the police, and the judiciary system.

Pastor said he expected that the current parliament to start the process of "redefining" the Constitution, which he said will be an opportunity to define more precisely some of the questions that are of interest to the province of Vojvodina and to ethnic minorities.

He reiterated that the condition for the party's participation in government was not to leave the ruling majority on the provincial level, where it is currently allied with the Democratic Party (DS).

According to Pastor, elections in the province "certainly should not happen until June 6, because the Vojvodina Statute must be harmonized with the Constitution during this period, and, as far as the SVM is concerned, a change of the ruling majority in the province is not necessary despite the crisis of legitimacy."

"It all depends on how life will unfold and what will happen within the DS, but we want to be a reliable coalition partner until the end of the mandate," said Pastor.