Flurry of statements on "changes to Constitution"

Several parties have today and on Sunday made statements, with some taking action, regarding possible changes to the country's Constitution. Suzana Grubjesic of the ruling G17 Plus told reporters that all parties that sought those changes ought to meet and discuss this issue. Flurry of statements on "changes to Constitution" This is necessary, she added, "in order to determine what changes are in question and what deadlines". Grubjesic told reporters in Belgrade on Monday that the goal of the G17 Plus-affiliated United Regions of Serbia would be to establish "a middle level of governance and (bring up) the issue of the country's territorial organization". She noted that a draft platform on regionalization and decentralization of Serbia was complete, and that the time when Serbia was "ruled from one center" was "over". President of the Legislative Committee of the Serbian parliament and ruling DS official Vlatko Ratkovic told Belgrade-based daily Danas that the Constitution should be changed because of its shortcomings and inconsistencies. Work on this would start next year, but concrete steps can be expected after the elections expected to take place in 2012, explained he. Suzana Grubjesic (FoNet, file) SNS collecting signatures But instead of discussing, the most popular opposition party, SNS, is taking action. Party leader Tomislav Nikolic has invited both the opposition and the government to join the SNS in collecting 150,000 signatures in favor of amending the Serbian Constitution. Nikolic told reporters in downtown Belgrade, where the SNS began collecting signatures for this purpose, that their aim was to bring order to public administration, reduce government expenditures and show how the SNS would treat the people's money after the next elections. The amendments should halve the number of deputies in the parliament, bringing it down to 125, and reduce the costs of running that institution, Nikolic explained. According to him, the SNS will present the parliament with two proposals in two days' time, about the government and ministries. DSS opposed But another opposition party, the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), said today it was against any constitutional changes, and views the initiative as a consequence of the pressure from abroad triggered by the Preamble on Serbia's southern province Kosovo-Metohija, DSS Vice President Slobodan Samardzic stated on Monday. He said at a press conference that the Serbian Constitution, which is a "coherent state document", determines the statehood and government of Serbia in a modern and democratic manner. Samardzic said that many states which have recognized Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence were "bothered" by the preamble on Serbia's southern province. The DSS deputy president believes that the provisions referring to Kosovo-Metohija are the target of the initiatives for constitutional changes. He recalled that the ruling coalition launched initiatives for amendments to the Serbian Constitution during the last year giving various explanations, including the need for regionalization, and added that the opposition Serb Progressive Party (SNS) announced activities in the same domain. Preamble Leader of the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) Vuk Draskovic was interviewed by Tanjug news agency in Belgrade on Sunday, when he said that a permanent, mutually acceptable solution for the Kosovo issue cannot be reached as long as the preamble of the Constitution of Serbia was in effect. The preamble in question defines Kosovo as an integral part of Serbia with substantial autonomy. "We do not need a preamble which denies the reality and creates a false impression that Serbia has some kind of sovereignty over Kosovo," Draskovic told the agency.

Flurry of statements on "changes to Constitution"

This is necessary, she added, "in order to determine what changes are in question and what deadlines".

Grubješić told reporters in Belgrade on Monday that the goal of the G17 Plus-affiliated United Regions of Serbia would be to establish "a middle level of governance and (bring up) the issue of the country's territorial organization".

She noted that a draft platform on regionalization and decentralization of Serbia was complete, and that the time when Serbia was "ruled from one center" was "over".

President of the Legislative Committee of the Serbian parliament and ruling DS official Vlatko Ratković told Belgrade-based daily Danas that the Constitution should be changed because of its shortcomings and inconsistencies.

Work on this would start next year, but concrete steps can be expected after the elections expected to take place in 2012, explained he.

SNS collecting signatures

But instead of discussing, the most popular opposition party, SNS, is taking action.

Party leader Tomislav Nikolić has invited both the opposition and the government to join the SNS in collecting 150,000 signatures in favor of amending the Serbian Constitution.

Nikolić told reporters in downtown Belgrade, where the SNS began collecting signatures for this purpose, that their aim was to bring order to public administration, reduce government expenditures and show how the SNS would treat the people's money after the next elections.

The amendments should halve the number of deputies in the parliament, bringing it down to 125, and reduce the costs of running that institution, Nikolić explained. According to him, the SNS will present the parliament with two proposals in two days' time, about the government and ministries.

DSS opposed

But another opposition party, the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), said today it was against any constitutional changes, and views the initiative as a consequence of the pressure from abroad triggered by the Preamble on Serbia's southern province Kosovo-Metohija, DSS Vice President Slobodan Samardžić stated on Monday.

He said at a press conference that the Serbian Constitution, which is a "coherent state document", determines the statehood and government of Serbia in a modern and democratic manner.

Samardžić said that many states which have recognized Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence were "bothered" by the preamble on Serbia's southern province.

The DSS deputy president believes that the provisions referring to Kosovo-Metohija are the target of the initiatives for constitutional changes.

He recalled that the ruling coalition launched initiatives for amendments to the Serbian Constitution during the last year giving various explanations, including the need for regionalization, and added that the opposition Serb Progressive Party (SNS) announced activities in the same domain.

Preamble

Leader of the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) Vuk Drašković was interviewed by Tanjug news agency in Belgrade on Sunday, when he said that a permanent, mutually acceptable solution for the Kosovo issue cannot be reached as long as the preamble of the Constitution of Serbia was in effect.

The preamble in question defines Kosovo as an integral part of Serbia with substantial autonomy.

"We do not need a preamble which denies the reality and creates a false impression that Serbia has some kind of sovereignty over Kosovo," Drašković told the agency.