"Vojvodina legislative powers would be unconstitutional”

Any decision to give Vojvodina the ability to pass legislation on its own would go against the Constitution, says Minister Milan Markovic. The public administration and local self-government minister said that “the will of objective rights is above personal views within the Democratic Party (DS).” "Vojvodina legislative powers would be unconstitutional” “It’s true, the Serbian Constitution has about a dozen questionable provisions, but changing the highest legal document of the state in a time of crisis would be counterproductive,” Markovic told daily Danas. Put to him that the League of Vojvodina Social Democrats would probably insist on Vojvodina being able to adopt legal acts, and that this party supported the government in parliament, Markovic responded that adopting such decisions would nevertheless be unconstitutional. “What I think is not important. I am a lawyer and a minister, and the Constitution imposes on all of us the will of objective justice. That is the highest will in a civilized society, and because it is so, there is not much room for thought. When the Constitution is changed, then we will think about it,” he said. Asked whether this meant that the DS believed that Vojvodina should not have legislative authority, Markovic said that DS’s view was that everything in the state must run in accordance with the Constitution and law. “Constitutional change will be possible when the will exists and when the conditions are met to revise the Constitution. At this moment in time, I am not thinking about changing the Constitution. It could be come into consideration at election time. It would be completely counter-productive to change the Constitution in a time of a crisis and ask the citizens to decide on that in a referendum. In my opinion, the Constitution has around ten contentious issues,” Markovic said. Milan Markovic (FoNet, archive)

"Vojvodina legislative powers would be unconstitutional”

“It’s true, the Serbian Constitution has about a dozen questionable provisions, but changing the highest legal document of the state in a time of crisis would be counterproductive,” Marković told daily Danas.

Put to him that the League of Vojvodina Social Democrats would probably insist on Vojvodina being able to adopt legal acts, and that this party supported the government in parliament, Marković responded that adopting such decisions would nevertheless be unconstitutional.

“What I think is not important. I am a lawyer and a minister, and the Constitution imposes on all of us the will of objective justice. That is the highest will in a civilized society, and because it is so, there is not much room for thought. When the Constitution is changed, then we will think about it,” he said.

Asked whether this meant that the DS believed that Vojvodina should not have legislative authority, Marković said that DS’s view was that everything in the state must run in accordance with the Constitution and law.

“Constitutional change will be possible when the will exists and when the conditions are met to revise the Constitution. At this moment in time, I am not thinking about changing the Constitution. It could be come into consideration at election time. It would be completely counter-productive to change the Constitution in a time of a crisis and ask the citizens to decide on that in a referendum. In my opinion, the Constitution has around ten contentious issues,” Marković said.