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Government forwards draft constitution for parliament approval
Belgrade,
4 June 2004
The Serbian government approved a draft constitution at a session today and forwarded it to the parliament for approval, Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica told a press conference.
Vojislav Kostunica
The government initially believed that the parliament is the most competent institution for drafting a new constitution, the Prime Minister said, but added that the parliament had too many bills on the docket and that the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) obstructed the work of the parliament’s constitutional committee.
The government must encourage lawmakers to prepare a new constitution, the Prime Minister went on to say, adding that the draft constitution is only a ruling coalition’s stance on Serbia’s state and social system.
Following consultations and changes to the initial version of the draft constitution, all government parties have agreed on the text of the document, said Kostunica, noting that the initial version was prepared in early 2002 by a commission comprising members of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), non-party individuals and experts.
According to the Prime Minister, the draft constitution differs a lot from Serbia’s current constitution. The current constitution, adopted in 1990 by a single-party parliament, served to set the guidelines for a multi-party system, he explained and noted that Serbia was one of the six republics of the former Yugoslavia at that time.
The government will make every effort to underline the importance of adopting a new constitution, Kostunica went on to say, stressing that the draft constitution reflects a true effort to make Serbia a fully democratic state that relies on institutional and social principles that have been tested and accepted in the past.
The draft constitution also mirrors the best traditions of liberal and democratic constitutionality, and aims to reconcile the best democratic practices in Europe with Serbia’s specific needs, the Prime Minister said.
The document, which attempts to ensure a balance among institutions and prevent crises and instability to provide for their unhampered work, also stipulates new mechanisms for the protection of human rights.
It also describes the procedures for changing the constitution, as well as empowerments during a state of emergency.
The government must encourage lawmakers to prepare a new constitution, the Prime Minister went on to say, adding that the draft constitution is only a ruling coalition’s stance on Serbia’s state and social system.
Following consultations and changes to the initial version of the draft constitution, all government parties have agreed on the text of the document, said Kostunica, noting that the initial version was prepared in early 2002 by a commission comprising members of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), non-party individuals and experts.
According to the Prime Minister, the draft constitution differs a lot from Serbia’s current constitution. The current constitution, adopted in 1990 by a single-party parliament, served to set the guidelines for a multi-party system, he explained and noted that Serbia was one of the six republics of the former Yugoslavia at that time.
The government will make every effort to underline the importance of adopting a new constitution, Kostunica went on to say, stressing that the draft constitution reflects a true effort to make Serbia a fully democratic state that relies on institutional and social principles that have been tested and accepted in the past.
The draft constitution also mirrors the best traditions of liberal and democratic constitutionality, and aims to reconcile the best democratic practices in Europe with Serbia’s specific needs, the Prime Minister said.
The document, which attempts to ensure a balance among institutions and prevent crises and instability to provide for their unhampered work, also stipulates new mechanisms for the protection of human rights.
It also describes the procedures for changing the constitution, as well as empowerments during a state of emergency.
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