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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

New Constitution to serve as basis of Serbia's legal order, future development

Belgrade, 4 October 2006

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said today following a meeting with President of the Association of Independent Labour Unions of Serbia (SSSS) Milenko Smiljanic that the meeting concerned the Constitution as a whole and its importance for Serbia's future development, including the position that Kosovo will remain a constituent part of Serbia.

Kostunica told the press that Serbian Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Policy Slobodan Lalovic also attended the meeting at which certain provisions dealing with social, economic, union and workers' rights were discussed.

He said he is quite pleased with the cooperation between the government and the SSSS and recalled that only a small number of laws dealing with this sector were not discussed with the SSSS President and his associates.

That is how the government came up with the solutions that parliament afterwards accepted, added Kostunica and said that the formal manner of cooperation is social dialogue.

According to Kostunica, cooperation and work on providing Serbia with proper legislation has now been extended to something which is at this moment of special and crucial importance for Serbia, and that is the adoption of the new Constitution at the referendum scheduled for October 28 and 29.

The referendum should confirm the unanimous agreement of the people because the constitution is the basis for Serbia's legal order and future development, said the Prime Minister.

He emphasised that the Constitution had been prepared for quite a long time, namely since 2001, and it passed parliamentary procedure only in 2004 after the government adopted the proposed draft of this supreme legal act and forwarded it to parliament for adoption.

When it comes to the statement of the UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari that the solution to Kosovo's future status could be put off due to elections in Serbia, Kostunica stressed that the government and all institutions in Serbia are aware of the schedule.

The schedule is precise: parliament has adopted the Constitution, the people should confirm it and elections will inevitably follow, explained the Serbian Prime Minister.

He said that Ahtisaari's statement is astonishing because his mandate does not give him the right to discuss the time when elections will be held in a sovereign country.

Our schedule is important for us, added Kostunica and pointed out that once the Constitution is adopted at the referendum, it is of crucial importance to hold elections with the agreement of all sides.

I will make efforts for elections to take place as soon as possible, for us the progression of events is the adoption of the Constitution, then the referendum and elections, stressed Kostunica and added that all of that must unfold without delay, legitimately and according to agreements.

He also said that his meeting yesterday with Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia Carla Del Ponte was satisfactory and recalled that during her visit to Belgrade she talked with the most capable people engaged in implementing the Action Plan, coordinators Vladimir Vukcevic and Rasim Ljajic.

In those talks the manner of implementing the plan was also discussed, as well as the difficulties in its implementation and improving the implementation, said Kostunica and recalled that the Action Plan is in accordance with the EU and the Hague Tribunal.

We are satisfied with what has been done in Serbia since the adoption of the Action Plan in the previous six months, said the Prime Minister.

The plan is very precise, it is being implemented with responsibility and I am satisfied with the confidence that has been shown in the team, especially on the part of the coordinators, explained the Prime Minister. He added that they did everything in their power to complete the cooperation with The Hague.

The Serbian Prime Minister said that this will also influence Brussels's decision when it comes to the issue of cooperation, concerning which a lot has been done in the given circumstances.

Kostunica said that he will address the press tomorrow on the occasion of October 5, and will emphasise that we are now in the position to realise one of the main aims of October 5, which is the adoption of the new Constitution for Serbia.

Smiljanic said that today’s meeting between government representatives and the SSSS shows that the government is heading in the right direction regarding the adoption of the new Constitution, that proper methods and procedures are being used to present the Constitution, unanimously adopted by Serbian parliament, to the people for adoption.

During the talks, problems which were connected to the adoption of the Constitution as well as specific problems concerning constitutional rights and freedoms of trade union organisations were also examined.

We reached the conclusion that this Constitution represents a step forward for our country, stressed Smiljanic and added that the SSSS will support this Constitution and call upon all its members to vote at the referendum for its adoption.

He expressed his conviction that social dialogue will be the basis for further cooperation between the government and the SSSS.