Vojvodina assembly adopts Statute

The Vojvodina assembly has adopted the province’s new Statute. 89 of 120 councilors voted in favor of the bill, while 21 voted against. Vojvodina assembly adopts Statute During the morning part of the session, councilors held a debate on the Statute’s text, while in the afternoon and evening they adopted only one opposition amendment to the bill out of the total 155 submitted by the opposition Serb Radical Party, Democratic Party of Serbia and Forward Serbia. Opposition councilors attacked the draft Statute claiming that it transcended the Constitutional framework, that it gave prerogatives to Vojvodina’s federal units, citing as examples the proposal to give Vojvodina a capital city, a government instead of an executive council, and the opportunity to open an international representative office in Brussels. The opposition attempted to alter the entire draft Statute with its amendments. Meanwhile, the ruling parties in the province defended the bill, stressing that it was entirely within the Constitutional framework, and that all the possibilities the draft Statute offered stemmed from the Serbian Constitution. Vojvodina Assembly Speaker Sandor Egeresi said that following the adoption of the Statute in the provincial assembly he would be meeting with the speaker of the national parliament, Slavica Djukic Dejanovic, where he would insist on the bill coming before MPs at the earliest possible opportunity. In line with the Constitution, the process of adopting Vojvodina's highest legal act will resume with the bill passing on to the national parliament, which, observers believe, could happen by the end of the year. The Vojvodina Statute would then be officially proclaimed in the Vojvodina assembly. The Vojvodina Assembly (B92, archive)

Vojvodina assembly adopts Statute

During the morning part of the session, councilors held a debate on the Statute’s text, while in the afternoon and evening they adopted only one opposition amendment to the bill out of the total 155 submitted by the opposition Serb Radical Party, Democratic Party of Serbia and Forward Serbia.

Opposition councilors attacked the draft Statute claiming that it transcended the Constitutional framework, that it gave prerogatives to Vojvodina’s federal units, citing as examples the proposal to give Vojvodina a capital city, a government instead of an executive council, and the opportunity to open an international representative office in Brussels.

The opposition attempted to alter the entire draft Statute with its amendments.

Meanwhile, the ruling parties in the province defended the bill, stressing that it was entirely within the Constitutional framework, and that all the possibilities the draft Statute offered stemmed from the Serbian Constitution.

Vojvodina Assembly Speaker Šandor Egereši said that following the adoption of the Statute in the provincial assembly he would be meeting with the speaker of the national parliament, Slavica Đukić Dejanović, where he would insist on the bill coming before MPs at the earliest possible opportunity.

In line with the Constitution, the process of adopting Vojvodina's highest legal act will resume with the bill passing on to the national parliament, which, observers believe, could happen by the end of the year.

The Vojvodina Statute would then be officially proclaimed in the Vojvodina assembly.