“Constitution, Vojvodina's Statute must be respected”

NOVI SAD Serbian PM Ivica Dacic and Vojvodina Executive Council President Bojan Pajtic have agreed that the Constitution and Vojvodina’s Statute have to be respected. The two officials met on Saturday in Novi Sad. “Constitution, Vojvodina's Statute must be respected” They said after the meeting that the Consitution and Vojvodina’s Statute needed to be respected regardless of the fact that the make-up of the ruling coalition was not the same at the state and provincial levels. The Serbian prime minister said that he would like to put an end to the speculations that the new government would like to curb Vojvodina's jurisdictions. “Vojvodina's autonomy and financing are serious issues, whose abuse would entail serious consequences for the state and for Vojvodina,” Dacic told reporters after the meeting with Pajtic. “We are here to cooperate, and this is not the matter of personal or party interests,” he underscored. The meeting was scheduled because of disagreements between the state and provincial authorities over Vojvodina's financing, and the decision by the Constitutional Court that declared certain sections of the Law on Vojvodina's jurisdictions unconstitutional. Dacic said that today's meeting demonstrates the state's responsible and united approach to the issues, while ministers from the relevant provincial and state institutions would discuss specific matters. Pajtic underlined that he had agreed with the Serbian prime minister that the level of Vojvodina's jurisdictions stipulated in the Serbian Constitution and the Statute of Vojvodina should be maintained. He told reporters that the meeting had addressed extremely important issues related to the financing of the provincial, as well as state administration, and recalled that he had reached an agreement with Serbian Finance and Economy Minister Mladjan Dinkic on creating a legal framework for Vojvodina's revenues which are necessary for efficient application of all provincial jurisdictions. Dacic and Pajtic met following the adoption of the budget review, to which the provincial administration has certain objections, as it deems that certain provisions related to Vojvodina's financing are not in line with the Constitution. Ivica Dacic and Bojan Pajtic (file) Tanjug

“Constitution, Vojvodina's Statute must be respected”

They said after the meeting that the Consitution and Vojvodina’s Statute needed to be respected regardless of the fact that the make-up of the ruling coalition was not the same at the state and provincial levels.

The Serbian prime minister said that he would like to put an end to the speculations that the new government would like to curb Vojvodina's jurisdictions.

“Vojvodina's autonomy and financing are serious issues, whose abuse would entail serious consequences for the state and for Vojvodina,” Dačić told reporters after the meeting with Pajtić.

“We are here to cooperate, and this is not the matter of personal or party interests,” he underscored.

The meeting was scheduled because of disagreements between the state and provincial authorities over Vojvodina's financing, and the decision by the Constitutional Court that declared certain sections of the Law on Vojvodina's jurisdictions unconstitutional.

Dačić said that today's meeting demonstrates the state's responsible and united approach to the issues, while ministers from the relevant provincial and state institutions would discuss specific matters.

Pajtić underlined that he had agreed with the Serbian prime minister that the level of Vojvodina's jurisdictions stipulated in the Serbian Constitution and the Statute of Vojvodina should be maintained.

He told reporters that the meeting had addressed extremely important issues related to the financing of the provincial, as well as state administration, and recalled that he had reached an agreement with Serbian Finance and Economy Minister Mlađan Dinkić on creating a legal framework for Vojvodina's revenues which are necessary for efficient application of all provincial jurisdictions.

Dačić and Pajtić met following the adoption of the budget review, to which the provincial administration has certain objections, as it deems that certain provisions related to Vojvodina's financing are not in line with the Constitution.