Dispute over law threatens ruling coalition

A parliament session that was called to vote on the new Law on Railways was canceled on Monday, after a party backing the government withdrew its support. MPs of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM) decided not to show up for the session because their amendments, requesting "certain rights over the railway infrastructure in Vojvodina", were rejected. Dispute over law threatens ruling coalition Another party based in the province, the League of the Social-Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV), said that while it would not vote for the proposal, its members would "provide a quorum" for the session, and that it would "not bring down the government". LSV MP Aleksandra Jerkov also accused the ethnic Hungarian party of attempting to force the government to collapse by failing to provide a quorum for the session today. SVM MPs, however, told B92 that they would not provide an opportunity for the law to be adopted, and described it as "detrimental to Vojvodina's interests". According to some reports, the law could be back on the voting agenda of the Serbian parliament on September 26. Serbian Parliament Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic called a brief news conference today to state that the ruling coalition was not in danger of collapsing because the voting scheduled for today was postponed, and added that the citizens "will have an opportunity to find out that this was true by the end of the month, when all remaining laws from the European agenda should be adopted". Also on Monday, a session of the provincial assembly in Novi Sad was canceled without any explanation provided by officials. The session was supposed to discuss proposed amendments to the Draft Law on Public Property. The amendments were submitted by the provincial government and seek to give Vojvodina ownership of second category roads, the regional railway network, structures built from the Provincial Fund for Capital Investments, and provincial water and forestry management public companies.

Dispute over law threatens ruling coalition

Another party based in the province, the League of the Social-Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV), said that while it would not vote for the proposal, its members would "provide a quorum" for the session, and that it would "not bring down the government".

LSV MP Aleksandra Jerkov also accused the ethnic Hungarian party of attempting to force the government to collapse by failing to provide a quorum for the session today.

SVM MPs, however, told B92 that they would not provide an opportunity for the law to be adopted, and described it as "detrimental to Vojvodina's interests".

According to some reports, the law could be back on the voting agenda of the Serbian parliament on September 26.

Serbian Parliament Speaker Slavica Đukić-Dejanović called a brief news conference today to state that the ruling coalition was not in danger of collapsing because the voting scheduled for today was postponed, and added that the citizens "will have an opportunity to find out that this was true by the end of the month, when all remaining laws from the European agenda should be adopted".

Also on Monday, a session of the provincial assembly in Novi Sad was canceled without any explanation provided by officials. The session was supposed to discuss proposed amendments to the Draft Law on Public Property.

The amendments were submitted by the provincial government and seek to give Vojvodina ownership of second category roads, the regional railway network, structures built from the Provincial Fund for Capital Investments, and provincial water and forestry management public companies.