Vojvodina calls for changes to Serbian Constitution

NOVI SAD - The Assembly of the Serbian Autonomous Province of Vojvodina adopted on Tuesday, after a three-and-a-half-hour-long debate, a declaration on the need to initiate the procedure to change the Serbian Constitution of adopt a completely new one.

There were 104 assembly members present, of which 64 voted in favour and 33 against. There were no abstentions.

The initiative for such a declaration came from the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV) and the draft document was submitted by 64 assembly members, from the LSV, Democratic Party (DS) and New Democratic Party (NDS).

The declaration says it is adopted in order to better define the state and legal identity of the Republic of Serbia and to lay down Vojvodina's jurisdiction in the Serbian Constitution. The document further states that it is adopted in the interest of Serbia's European future and with full recognition of the country's territorial integrity.

The Serbian Constitution is not functional; it needs new provisions that will facilitate the development of Vojvodina's autonomy and regionalisation as part of the decentralisation process, according to the declaration.

President of the Vojvodina Assembly and leader of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM) Istvan Pastor says the declaration is being used to gain short-term political points, which should not be the case when such an important issue as changing the Constitution was at hand.

Head of the group of parties in the assembly that are led by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) Predrag Matejin, asked the DS, LSV and NDS why they had not called for changes to the Constitution and Vojvodina's position in previous years, especially since they were part of both the provincial...