Constitution "unacceptable" for Hungarian party

The leader of a party gathering ethnic Hungarians in Vojvodina says that the Constitution in force in Serbia is "unacceptable". The reason for this, Istvan Pastor of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM) says, is because this act does not provide for sufficient autonomy for Vojvodina. Constitution "unacceptable" for Hungarian party "We are a minority, Hungarian party, tightly linked with Vojvodina's regional interests. Our firm position is that there is no common interest for the sake of which we would give up the regional interest," Pastor told a gathering today in Novi Sad dubbed the 3rd Vojvodina Convention. According to him, it was "hard and risky" to make a decision to take part in this event, attended mostly by small parties supporting autonomy for the province, "since there are voices in the SMV saying that it is a gathering of persons that do not have the sufficient prestige and that the moment is not right for additional promotion of their stances". But, Pastor said that he found the participants to have good reputation, since they have stayed true to their ideals, "without selling them for momentary party or personal gain". "On the other hand, the moment for a convention of this type will never be favorable," he continued. Pastor then explained that for his party and other participants in today's event, the Serbian Constitution is unacceptable, and that the SNV will "fight against it to the end". "The Constitution is unacceptable for us, which is understandable since it gives Vojvodina insufficient autonomy, but it's odd that it is also unacceptable for those who passed it, so they violate it more and more often," he said in reference to an article stipulating that seven percent of Serbia's overall budget should go to Vojvodina. Pastor described "stalling" in parliament when it comes to adopting the province's new statute as "masks being taken off completely". "We can confidently say that 'the emperor is naked', that behind big pro-European words there is no political will to see them realized. The situation can be changed by us, through exerting constant pressure, " the SMV leader advised. Besides his party office, Pastor is also the deputy president of the Vojvodina Executive Council, and the provincial secretary in charge of the economy. He continued to say today that the solution lies in open dialogue and compromises, and that "pointing to problems does not equal an attempt to destabilize the country". "There will be no Serbia's entry to the EU until internal problems are solved, and those are the issues of Vojvodina's position, decentralization and further democratization of the entire society," Pastor concluded. The gathering in Novi Sad on Sunday was opened by a former high Communist Party official, Zivan Berisavljevic, while the resolution was explained by one of its chief authors – Slobodan Budakov, Tanjug news agency reported.

Constitution "unacceptable" for Hungarian party

"We are a minority, Hungarian party, tightly linked with Vojvodina's regional interests. Our firm position is that there is no common interest for the sake of which we would give up the regional interest," Pastor told a gathering today in Novi Sad dubbed the 3rd Vojvodina Convention.

According to him, it was "hard and risky" to make a decision to take part in this event, attended mostly by small parties supporting autonomy for the province, "since there are voices in the SMV saying that it is a gathering of persons that do not have the sufficient prestige and that the moment is not right for additional promotion of their stances".

But, Pastor said that he found the participants to have good reputation, since they have stayed true to their ideals, "without selling them for momentary party or personal gain".

"On the other hand, the moment for a convention of this type will never be favorable," he continued.

Pastor then explained that for his party and other participants in today's event, the Serbian Constitution is unacceptable, and that the SNV will "fight against it to the end".

"The Constitution is unacceptable for us, which is understandable since it gives Vojvodina insufficient autonomy, but it's odd that it is also unacceptable for those who passed it, so they violate it more and more often," he said in reference to an article stipulating that seven percent of Serbia's overall budget should go to Vojvodina.

Pastor described "stalling" in parliament when it comes to adopting the province's new statute as "masks being taken off completely".

"We can confidently say that 'the emperor is naked', that behind big pro-European words there is no political will to see them realized. The situation can be changed by us, through exerting constant pressure, " the SMV leader advised.

Besides his party office, Pastor is also the deputy president of the Vojvodina Executive Council, and the provincial secretary in charge of the economy.

He continued to say today that the solution lies in open dialogue and compromises, and that "pointing to problems does not equal an attempt to destabilize the country".

"There will be no Serbia's entry to the EU until internal problems are solved, and those are the issues of Vojvodina's position, decentralization and further democratization of the entire society," Pastor concluded.

The gathering in Novi Sad on Sunday was opened by a former high Communist Party official, Živan Berisavljević, while the resolution was explained by one of its chief authors – Slobodan Budakov, Tanjug news agency reported.