“Widespread support for Vojvodina statute”

Bojan Pajtić says that the new Vojvodina draft statute does not guarantee the province the greatest level of autonomy in its history.

Izvor: Veèernje novosti

Thursday, 02.10.2008.

15:26

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Bojan Pajtic says that the new Vojvodina draft statute does not guarantee the province the greatest level of autonomy in its history. The president of the Vojvodina Executive Council said that the new “draft statute is far from the Serbian Constitution of 1974”, adding that the old Constitution guaranteed legislative power for the province, as well as courts, police and provincial insurance funds—none of which are provided for in the new statute. “Widespread support for Vojvodina statute” “I participated in a public debate and saw for myself that the draft received widespread support. I am convinced that the document will receive at least two-thirds endorsement in the provincial assembly,” Pajtic told daily Vecernje Novosti. Asked whether President Boris Tadic was familiar with the contents of the Statute, Pajtic said that “the highest act of the province cannot be prepared without the knowledge of the president of the Republic.” “What’s more, President Tadic insisted on some changes—for instance, to specify that Vojvodina has the right to representative offices in other regions, but not in other counties, so that we couldn’t be interpreted as having any intention of opening our own embassies or pursuing independent foreign policies. All European regions have such representative offices. The goal is to be closer to European funds and compete for those assets in a timely manner,” Pajtic said. He said that Vojvodina had had a representative office in Szeged even during the Milosevic era. “I cannot imagine the Serbian parliament rejecting the draft because that would create a big constitutional crisis. Legally, the national parliament does not have a deadline for adopting the Statute, but I believe that it will realistically happen before the end of the year,” Pajtic forecast.

“Widespread support for Vojvodina statute”

“I participated in a public debate and saw for myself that the draft received widespread support. I am convinced that the document will receive at least two-thirds endorsement in the provincial assembly,” Pajtić told daily Večernje Novosti.

Asked whether President Boris Tadić was familiar with the contents of the Statute, Pajtić said that “the highest act of the province cannot be prepared without the knowledge of the president of the Republic.”

“What’s more, President Tadić insisted on some changes—for instance, to specify that Vojvodina has the right to representative offices in other regions, but not in other counties, so that we couldn’t be interpreted as having any intention of opening our own embassies or pursuing independent foreign policies. All European regions have such representative offices. The goal is to be closer to European funds and compete for those assets in a timely manner,” Pajtić said.

He said that Vojvodina had had a representative office in Szeged even during the Milošević era.

“I cannot imagine the Serbian parliament rejecting the draft because that would create a big constitutional crisis. Legally, the national parliament does not have a deadline for adopting the Statute, but I believe that it will realistically happen before the end of the year,” Pajtić forecast.

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