"Constitutional Court should rule on deal before referendum"

BELGRADE Marko Jaksic has said that the Constitutional Court of Serbia should appraise the Brussels agreement before the people have a chance to vote in a referendum. Jaksic, one of the leaders of Serbs in northern Kosovo and an MP on the ticket of the opposition Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), added that this demand "was contained in the Declaration of the Assembly of the Serb People." "Constitutional Court should rule on deal before referendum" The declaration was adopted last week during a protest in Kosovska Mitrovica against the agreement reached during the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue: "Article 3 of the Declaration, which we adopted in the presence of some 20,000 people, contains our demand for the Brussels agreement to be appraised by the Constitutional Court before the referendum." Jaksic further said that PM Ivica Dacic's statement that the holding of the referendum should not delay the implementation of the deal "did not seem logical": "What's the point of the referendum itself that will not be respected by anyone, if it isn't binding for the current authorities," Jaksic asked. First Deputy PM Aleksandar Vucic mentioned a deadline of two weeks for the voting to take place. Serbs from northern Kosovo are expected to state their position on this on Tuesday. In the meanwhile, the DSS continued gathering citizens' signatures for its campaign launched in support of "a peaceful resistance" of Serbs to the deal. The party said on Monday that a large number of signatures had already been collected. "We knew that even when we were the only ones who defended the interests of the state in parliament. The citizens who voted for this government did not give them their support to dismantle our country's institutions in Kosovo and Metohija," DSS MP Dusica Morcev told reporters. She added that it was important for the referendum to be held and give the citizens a chance to have their say on the agreement. The DSS has no doubt that the majority will say "no" to the separation and handing over of Kosovo and Metohija, Morcev stated. This party will also support a protest gathering announced for May 10 in Belgrade, she revealed. The protest will be organized by Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija. Marko Jaksic (R) (Tanjug, file) Beta

"Constitutional Court should rule on deal before referendum"

The declaration was adopted last week during a protest in Kosovska Mitrovica against the agreement reached during the Belgrade-Priština dialogue:

"Article 3 of the Declaration, which we adopted in the presence of some 20,000 people, contains our demand for the Brussels agreement to be appraised by the Constitutional Court before the referendum."

Jakšić further said that PM Ivica Dačić's statement that the holding of the referendum should not delay the implementation of the deal "did not seem logical":

"What's the point of the referendum itself that will not be respected by anyone, if it isn't binding for the current authorities," Jakšić asked.

First Deputy PM Aleksandar Vučić mentioned a deadline of two weeks for the voting to take place.

Serbs from northern Kosovo are expected to state their position on this on Tuesday.

In the meanwhile, the DSS continued gathering citizens' signatures for its campaign launched in support of "a peaceful resistance" of Serbs to the deal. The party said on Monday that a large number of signatures had already been collected.

"We knew that even when we were the only ones who defended the interests of the state in parliament. The citizens who voted for this government did not give them their support to dismantle our country's institutions in Kosovo and Metohija," DSS MP Dušica Morčev told reporters.

She added that it was important for the referendum to be held and give the citizens a chance to have their say on the agreement.

The DSS has no doubt that the majority will say "no" to the separation and handing over of Kosovo and Metohija, Morčev stated.

This party will also support a protest gathering announced for May 10 in Belgrade, she revealed. The protest will be organized by Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija.