Does govt. have majority in parliament?

The issue of whether the ruling coalition in Serbia at this point has a majority of 126 votes in parliament remains open this Sunday. However, the defense minister and the parliamentary speaker are saying that the Cvetkovic cabinet does have the necessary support, while ethnic minority parties persist with their demands, and some opposition parties want new elections. Does govt. have majority in parliament? Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac, DS, told a news conference in Belgrade today that he is convinced that the government has the majority it needs, and that there will be no changes in the cabinet. On Saturday, parliament was scheduled to meet to approve a set of judicial reform laws, and start the overdue 2009 budget debate, but both sessions were postponed after a number of ruling coalition MPs reported they were down with an unspecified illness. However, the opposition, and the Alliance of the Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM), say that the real reason behind this delay is the fact that the government does not have the majority, since the SVM has withdrawn its support after this party's amendments were rejected. But Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, SPS, says she is convinced that there will be quorum in parliament as it meets on Monday, and that seven judicial system laws, the law on deposit insurance and legislation extending the validity of old passports will all be adopted. "Even without the Hungarians we have 126 MPs, so I have not even taken them into consideration when I said that some deputies could not make it. I expect some deal to be made," Djukic-Dejanovic. But the SVM said that they will persist with their demands related to a provision in the judicial laws regulating the court network in Serbia and court seats, and added that no one from the ruling coalition contacted them over the weekend. First Deputy PM and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, SPS, said today that he expects parliament to first vote on a government no-confidence motion put forward by a part of the opposition as it meets on Monday, and said he does not think the government is "jeopardized". Opposition New Serbia (NS) vice-president Dubravka Filipovski commented on the situation by saying that the government has demonstrated it does not have the majority it needs in parliament, and that "with this year, this not-of-the-people government, should go, too". "We do not need excuses, we need clear arguments from Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, on whether or not the government has the majority," she said. Asked whether her party will obstruct parliament's work tomorrow, Filipovski said that the government imposed a notion that it is the opposition that is responsible for the obstruction, and accused the ruling coalition of causing the impasse with their incompetence. Filipovski repeated that New Serbia believes new elections are "the right solution".

Does govt. have majority in parliament?

Defense Minister Dragan Šutanovac, DS, told a news conference in Belgrade today that he is convinced that the government has the majority it needs, and that there will be no changes in the cabinet.

On Saturday, parliament was scheduled to meet to approve a set of judicial reform laws, and start the overdue 2009 budget debate, but both sessions were postponed after a number of ruling coalition MPs reported they were down with an unspecified illness.

However, the opposition, and the Alliance of the Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM), say that the real reason behind this delay is the fact that the government does not have the majority, since the SVM has withdrawn its support after this party's amendments were rejected.

But Speaker Slavica Đukić-Dejanović, SPS, says she is convinced that there will be quorum in parliament as it meets on Monday, and that seven judicial system laws, the law on deposit insurance and legislation extending the validity of old passports will all be adopted.

"Even without the Hungarians we have 126 MPs, so I have not even taken them into consideration when I said that some deputies could not make it. I expect some deal to be made," Đukić-Dejanović.

But the SVM said that they will persist with their demands related to a provision in the judicial laws regulating the court network in Serbia and court seats, and added that no one from the ruling coalition contacted them over the weekend.

First Deputy PM and Interior Minister Ivica Dačić, SPS, said today that he expects parliament to first vote on a government no-confidence motion put forward by a part of the opposition as it meets on Monday, and said he does not think the government is "jeopardized".

Opposition New Serbia (NS) vice-president Dubravka Filipovski commented on the situation by saying that the government has demonstrated it does not have the majority it needs in parliament, and that "with this year, this not-of-the-people government, should go, too".

"We do not need excuses, we need clear arguments from Speaker Slavica Đukić-Dejanović, on whether or not the government has the majority," she said.

Asked whether her party will obstruct parliament's work tomorrow, Filipovski said that the government imposed a notion that it is the opposition that is responsible for the obstruction, and accused the ruling coalition of causing the impasse with their incompetence.

Filipovski repeated that New Serbia believes new elections are "the right solution".