Keepin touch

Whether you have a question, comment, suggestion or any problem in the purview of the government, send us your message and we will try to respond as soon as possible. If your problem is not in our purview, we will forward your message to the relevant institution.

The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Kostunica invites Sandzak citizens to vote at referendum

Novi Pazar, 9 October 2006

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said today in Novi Pazar that provisions of the new Constitution provide for equal development of all regions in Serbia and regulate the position of national minorities, adding that they represent a guarantee of the quality of Serbia's supreme legal act.

Author: Tanjug

In a statement to the press following a meeting with president of the Novi Pazar municipality Sulejman Ugljanin, Kostunica stressed that all regions of Serbia must develop at an equal pace.

Kostunica said that the aim of his visit to Sandzak municipalities was to invite the citizens to vote at the referendum to be held on October 28 and 29.

He said that the new Constitution provides established provisions on the position of national minorities, which is highly important for this region.

Kostunica said that the new Constitution was reached by consensus and that the date for holding the elections should be determined in the same way, adding that the elections should be held as soon as possible, immediately after the adoption of the constitution law.

He said that it is most important to complete the changes at the level of the Republic, which entails holding presidential and parliamentary elections, which will be followed by local and provincial ones.

Commenting on the calls of some Vojvodina parties to boycott the referendum, the Serbian Prime Minister underlined that Vojvodina will retain its autonomy and gain the right to financial autonomy, as well as the right to provincial and local self-government.

I think that all this demonstrates that Vojvodina can develop within Serbia, which was a guideline for those who made the Constitution. All other solutions could lead to disintegration. The new Constitution envisages decentralisation, not disintegration, Kostunica pointed out.

Pointing to the fact that the Serbs and Bosniaks have been living together in Novi Pazar for years, he said that its "sound foundations should be created in the future as well, in our common house Serbia which is open and facing towards the future."

From left: Velimir Ilic, Vojislav Kostunica and Sulejman Ugljanin

Author: Tanjug

The Constitution is the foundation of that house, according to Kostunica, in which all citizens should live, regardless of their ethnic, religious and cultural affiliation.

Kostunica pointed out that the government has perceived how, owing to good cooperation with the president of the Novi Pazar municipality, the face of Novi Pazar is changing. He added that Novi Pazar will soon get a school administration, by which it will become a centre of a number of municipalities.

Ugljanin called upon the citizens of Sandzak to vote at the referendum in large numbers and support the new Constitution of Serbia, adding that the new supreme legal act envisages a new climate, perspectives and better standard for all citizens.

He said that the Serbian government has done a lot on the construction of local infrastructure, and he used this opportunity to talk with the Prime Minister on its further improvement, as well as on raising living standards, economic questions, privatisation, strengthening the region and creating more jobs.

Kostunica addressed today university students in Novi Pazar and said on the occasion that it was necessary to adopt a new constitution because Serbia has become an independent state, and also because it is determined to become a member of the EU.

No one can say that the Constitution of Serbia was adopted in a non-democratic manner because it is envisaged that the supreme legal act be adopted if two thirds of parliament members vote for it, and at the referendum a majority of more than half of the registered voters is necessary, reiterated the Prime Minister.

The draft of the Constitution of Serbia was adopted by parliament unanimously, and the debate on it lasted some five to six years, said Kostunica and added that the new Constitution is democratically valid because it decentralises authority, gives Vojvodina the right of self-governance as a province and strengthens local self-governments.

According to Kostunica, the new Constitution offers a good solution for minority and human rights and guarantees the equal development of all parts of Serbia.

Kostunica reiterated once more that Novi Pazar will get a school administration, with which the Higher Education Institution of Novi Pazar will get the status of university.

After he addresses students at the Novi Pazar Law Faculty, where he will discuss the Constitution, Kostunica will visit the municipalities of Tutin and Raska.

The Serbian Prime Minister accompanied by Serbian Minister of Economy Predrag Bubalo, Serbian Minister of Capital Investment Velimir Ilic and Serbian Minister of Justice Zoran Stojkovic also visited today the six member Bosniak household of the Crnovrsanin family in the village Dezeva, and the community centre there.

President of the community centre in Dezeva Jugo Popovic said that the Serbian government has done a lot for the area by constructing a road towards Golija and by introducing public lighting. He presented the request for making a cultural centre and factory for processing fruit in the village to provide employment to young people.

Kostunica agreed that Dezeva needs a cultural centre, and Bubalo called upon the residents to form a joint enterprise for processing fruit, which would be financially supported by the government.

The Serbian Prime Minister also visited the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas.

While visiting the village of Ivanca near Novi Pazar, Kostunica invited the local population to vote at the referendum in favour of the new Constitution of Serbia because, he stressed, “we should built the state together as we are building Novi Pazar”, adding that the spirit of unity seen in Novi Pazar can also be created in other parts of Serbia.

President of the Novi Pazar municipality Sulejman Ugljanin recalled that owing to the funds provided by the Serbian government a road leading to the mosque has been built in the village, which will help in quicker development of households in that area.

The Serbian Prime Minister and ministers Ilic and Stojkovic later visited the ring road around Novi Pazar whose construction is being financed by the Serbian government.

Ilic said that construction of this ring road, which has been suspended for a short period of time, will be continued, using funds from the National Investment Plan.

The Serbian Prime Minister today also visited Tutin and underlined that "no part of Serbia should be treated as a step-child" and that the new Constitution will enable a steady and even development. That is a constitutional obligation now and not just empty words.

Kostunica called on citizens of this region to go to the referendum, vote for the Constitution and thus contribute to build Serbia as a common house of all those who live in it.

He concluded that this municipality needs good roads and developed economy which would make a better life in that part of Serbia. He said that cooperation between the Serbian government and the Tutin municipality has been very good so far.

During a meeting with Kostunica, president of the Tutin municipality Semsudin Kucevic pointed to the importance of reconstruction of the local infrastructure and construction of two roads - one for connecting Tutin and Novi Pazar and the other leading to Sjenica.

Kucevic thanked the Prime Minister and government members for the funds invested in this municipality through the Development Fund and called on citizens of Tutin to support the new Constitution on the referendum to be held on October 28 and 29.

Kostunica visited the furniture factory "Dalas" in Tutin.

During today’s visit to Raska, the Serbian Prime Minister said that the state of Serbia was created in that city, and added that he expects that everyone knows how important it is to safeguard Serbia’s territorial integrity, with Kosovo-Metohija as its integral part, as defined in the preamble of the new Constitution.

At a meeting with Raska municipal authorities Kostunica stressed that it is stated in the new Constitution that Kosovo-Metohija is an unalienable part of Serbia and will remain so.

According to Kostunica, that shows that Serbia respects her history, and also her own and international law.

He said that Serbia needs a new constitution because now it is not part of a larger country but an independent state, and because, as he put it, laws need to be changed sometimes everywhere in the world and that is the case here too.

Kostunica pointed to the fact that it is necessary that Serbia adopts a Constitution which will guarantee its territorial integrity.

He said that public debate on the Constitution was held and especially in the previous two years it was formally conducted in Serbian parliament, as well as in the public sphere.

President of Raska municipality Bojan Milovanovic said that the municipality began intensive cooperation with the Serbian government two years ago and as a result intensive work is being done in Raska.

He stressed that in Raska, once the capital city of Serbia and the valley of Serb kings, citizens will vote at the referendum on October 28 and 29 to support the Constitution.