Dinkić resigns, unclear if MPs will vote

BELGRADE -- Serbian Economy Minister and one of Deputy PMs Mlađan Dinkić on Tuesday announced that he had submitted his resignation.

Mlađan Dinkić addresses a news conference on Monday (Tanjug)

The move, confirmed for the Beta news agency by his G17 Plus party, came one day after Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković announced he had forwarded a proposal to parliament to relieve Dinkić of his duties in the cabinet.

Parliament Speaker Slavica Đukić-Dejanović explained, however, that it depended on the prime minister if MPs would debate and vote on his proposal to dismiss Dinkić, or would take the resignation into account and simply ascertain the decision.

The speaker said she would include the document sent by the PM into the agenda.

Dinkić explained his resignation earlier today by saying he wished to speed up the process of leaving the government, and with his desire not to burden the work of the Serbian parliament.

In an explanation of his decision to resign, sent to Cvetković, and Speaker Slavica Đukić-Dejanović, Dinkić said he wished to see the government remain stable until the end of the mandate, that he would nominate his successor as economy minister, as well as other ministries held by his party.

Dinkić also said he "did not wish to be seen as an obstacle to Serbia's EU integrations".