Sandžak officials angered over regionalization

Leaders of three Sandzak parties reacted to news that the government is not planning to include six municipalities of the Sandacak in one statistical region. They claim that the adopted government decree goes against all the guarantees given to officials of the Bosniak (Muslim) minority by the government. Sandzak officials angered over regionalization The southwestern are of Serbia is home to the country's largest Muslim minority. The Sandzak Democratic Party announced that they would withdraw their support for the parliamentary majority, which could lead to a change in the decree that was adopted ten days ago. Bosniak political official in Novi Pazar, Tutin, Prijepolje, Priboj, Sjenica and Nova Varos are insisting on these towns becoming one statistical group, which they say they were promised by the government in return for their support to the parliamentary majority. However, the map determining the statistical regions has Novi Pazar and Tutin a part of the central region, and the other four towns as a part of the western area. Novi Pazar Mayor Meho Mahmutovic said that he is surprised that tying all six municipalities together is being questioned in this way. Economy Minister Mladjan Dinkic said that he has "nothing against the six municipalities being a part of the same region", but said that in that case, a law on regional development must be changed. He explained that the decree in question was adopted unanimously and that ministers Rasim Ljajic and Sulejman Ugljanin, both from Sandzak, both supported it. Social Democratic Party official Meho Omerovic said that his party supported the decree because of the promises made initially. “This is very unfair of the coalition partners. Of course Minister Ljajic read the decree, but he also believed the promises. Officials of the Economy Ministry guaranteed that the six municipalities that will belong to the Sandzak region will remain in the same statistical region, as the law states,” Omerovic said. Ugljanin said that the problem occurred because of "oversights made by the state administration". The map of the statistical regions was made by the Statistical Office, and was checked by the European Agency for Statistics, which confirmed that it met all European criteria before adoption, reports said. In order for a territory to become a statistical region, it must have a population of 800,000. The law on regional development was adopted in July 2009.

Sandžak officials angered over regionalization

The southwestern are of Serbia is home to the country's largest Muslim minority.

The Sandžak Democratic Party announced that they would withdraw their support for the parliamentary majority, which could lead to a change in the decree that was adopted ten days ago.

Bosniak political official in Novi Pazar, Tutin, Prijepolje, Priboj, Sjenica and Nova Varoš are insisting on these towns becoming one statistical group, which they say they were promised by the government in return for their support to the parliamentary majority.

However, the map determining the statistical regions has Novi Pazar and Tutin a part of the central region, and the other four towns as a part of the western area.

Novi Pazar Mayor Meho Mahmutović said that he is surprised that tying all six municipalities together is being questioned in this way.

Economy Minister Mlađan Dinkić said that he has "nothing against the six municipalities being a part of the same region", but said that in that case, a law on regional development must be changed.

He explained that the decree in question was adopted unanimously and that ministers Rasim Ljajić and Sulejman Ugljanin, both from Sandžak, both supported it.

Social Democratic Party official Meho Omerović said that his party supported the decree because of the promises made initially.

“This is very unfair of the coalition partners. Of course Minister Ljajić read the decree, but he also believed the promises. Officials of the Economy Ministry guaranteed that the six municipalities that will belong to the Sandžak region will remain in the same statistical region, as the law states,” Omerović said.

Ugljanin said that the problem occurred because of "oversights made by the state administration".

The map of the statistical regions was made by the Statistical Office, and was checked by the European Agency for Statistics, which confirmed that it met all European criteria before adoption, reports said.

In order for a territory to become a statistical region, it must have a population of 800,000. The law on regional development was adopted in July 2009.