No separatism in Sandžak, says minister

Separatist tendencies have no support or real bearing in Sandzak, says Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader and Labor Minister Rasim Ljajic. He added that "relations between Serbs and Bosniaks have never been better". No separatism in Sandzak, says minister The minister told Tanjug the trend would continue after the election when, he is convinced, the SDP would form a stable local government with Sulejman Ugljanin's Party of Democratic Action (SDA) in all six municipalities in the southwestern Serbian region of Sandzak. "I do not think any separatist tendencies are realistic right now. They exist, but they can not have political or any other majority in Sandzak as the coming elections will certainly show," Ljajic explained. “Separatist tendencies could not be realized even in the 1990s when they enjoyed the absolute support of the majority in Sandzak, much less today, when the international community will not accept any new changing of borders,” he believes. "Any demand to change borders would actually contribute to new instability, which nobody wants," Ljajic pointed out and added that Sandzak's population was ethnically mixed and any destructive idea would spell disaster. Asked to comment on calls for autonomy for Sandzak, he said Sandzak and Novi Pazar needed the same thing as Valjevo, Sabac, Krusevac or Kragujevac - decentralization. "And I mean a decentralization that would move parallel to the process of democratization of the country and society. We need a development of local administrations with key competencies which will enable the economic development of the whole community and region. Nothing more and nothing less than any other municipality or town in Serbia," the labor minister pointed out. Rasim Ljajic (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

No separatism in Sandžak, says minister

The minister told Tanjug the trend would continue after the election when, he is convinced, the SDP would form a stable local government with Sulejman Ugljanin's Party of Democratic Action (SDA) in all six municipalities in the southwestern Serbian region of Sandžak.

"I do not think any separatist tendencies are realistic right now. They exist, but they can not have political or any other majority in Sandžak as the coming elections will certainly show," Ljajić explained.

“Separatist tendencies could not be realized even in the 1990s when they enjoyed the absolute support of the majority in Sandžak, much less today, when the international community will not accept any new changing of borders,” he believes.

"Any demand to change borders would actually contribute to new instability, which nobody wants," Ljajić pointed out and added that Sandžak's population was ethnically mixed and any destructive idea would spell disaster.

Asked to comment on calls for autonomy for Sandžak, he said Sandžak and Novi Pazar needed the same thing as Valjevo, Šabac, Kruševac or Kragujevac - decentralization.

"And I mean a decentralization that would move parallel to the process of democratization of the country and society. We need a development of local administrations with key competencies which will enable the economic development of the whole community and region. Nothing more and nothing less than any other municipality or town in Serbia," the labor minister pointed out.