Declaration on Vojvodina adopted

NOVI SAD The Declaration on the Protection of Constitutional and Legal Rights of Vojvodina was adopted by a majority vote in the Vojvodina assembly late on Monday. A total of 75 assembly members voted in favor, while 21 were against the document proposed by the Vojvodina government, which has caused a stormy reaction in the political public sphere recently. Declaration on Vojvodina adopted Assembly members of the Serb Progressive Party (SNS) and the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), opposition on the provincial level, who were against the declaration, left the session after the vote. DSS MP Milenko Jovanov told reporters that the party's deputies left the session because the adopted Declaration proclaimed the "separatist policy of the provincial government an official policy.” The DSS will continue to fight against this policy before the Constitutional Court of Serbia, where a public debate on the Statute of Vojvodina started Tuesday. The Declaration was adopted after the provincial government, led by the Democratic Party (DS), accepted one amendment to the document that was put forward by the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV), and another five amendments, out of a total of 11, tabled by the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM). By the LSV amendment, change was made to Article 2 in the draft declaration to state that the autonomy of Vojvodina is a historical and natural right of its citizens who by their own free will decided, in Novi Sad in July 1945, that the province is a constituent part of Serbia as an autonomous province. The Declaration, inter alia, states that constitutional principles and legal responsibilities in relation to the rights and powers of bodies and institutions in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina have been violated on a number of occasions. It calls on Serbia's central government, bodies and institutions to work jointly with the provincial administration and representatives of local governments on strengthening mutual cooperation and improving the level of respect for the rights and obligations of the province. (Tanjug) Tanjug

Declaration on Vojvodina adopted

Assembly members of the Serb Progressive Party (SNS) and the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), opposition on the provincial level, who were against the declaration, left the session after the vote.

DSS MP Milenko Jovanov told reporters that the party's deputies left the session because the adopted Declaration proclaimed the "separatist policy of the provincial government an official policy.”

The DSS will continue to fight against this policy before the Constitutional Court of Serbia, where a public debate on the Statute of Vojvodina started Tuesday.

The Declaration was adopted after the provincial government, led by the Democratic Party (DS), accepted one amendment to the document that was put forward by the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV), and another five amendments, out of a total of 11, tabled by the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM).

By the LSV amendment, change was made to Article 2 in the draft declaration to state that the autonomy of Vojvodina is a historical and natural right of its citizens who by their own free will decided, in Novi Sad in July 1945, that the province is a constituent part of Serbia as an autonomous province.

The Declaration, inter alia, states that constitutional principles and legal responsibilities in relation to the rights and powers of bodies and institutions in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina have been violated on a number of occasions.

It calls on Serbia's central government, bodies and institutions to work jointly with the provincial administration and representatives of local governments on strengthening mutual cooperation and improving the level of respect for the rights and obligations of the province.