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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbian Prime Minister certain that people will bring right decision regarding Constitution

Belgrade, 27 October 2006

Serbian Prime Minister Vojilsav Kostunica said this evening, as a guest of the Radio Television of Serbia, that he is convinced that the Serbian people will bring the right decision on October 28 and 29 at the referendum and support the adoption of the new Constitution of Serbia.

Author: Radio Television of Serbia

Kostunica said that he is certain that on October 28 and 29 Serbia will bring the right decision and support the new supreme legal act at the referendum because it gives our country stability and defines her identity as a state.

He stressed that in a certain sense the decision regarding the new constitution could have been made 14 years ago, when Serbia became one of the two, and not one of the six federal units of the sate which once existed.

The Serbian Prime Minister explained that then there was a need to regulate relations differently and recalled that later, in 2002, the state union of Serbia and Montenegro was formed and its constitutional charter was adopted, which also demanded that relations are regulated in a different manner.

Kostunica pointed to the fact that the changes which took place in October 2000 also demanded change and the adoption of a new constitution, and added that the work on the new Constitution was done late, but it must be said that it is well prepared and that this is the right moment for its adoption.

He added that in the middle of this year Serbia, after the referendum in Montenegro which was held in June, acquired all the properties of a state which is not part of a wider state entity any more, rather is a state in itself.

Answering the question whether Patriarch Pavle, with whom he talked yesterday, believes if Serbia knows the right answer to the question posed in the referendum, the Serbian Prime Minister said that Patriarch Pavle sent a clear message to the people of Serbia to go to the polls and vote for the new Constitution.

Yesterday’s talks encouraged me, because of the determined manner in which the Patriarch repeated that message in talks and the vigor he displayed, and also because of his awareness how important it is for all of us, said Kostunica, and added that other churches and religious communities have also spoken in favour of voting at the referendum.

He said that that is above all encouraging and shows that everyone thinks of Serbia as their home which needs to be regulated properly, a legal state, and that is achieved through her fundamental law – her Constitution.

Kostunica pointed to the fact that one of the best elements of the new Constitution is the one regarding human and minority rights.

According to Kostunica, the new Constitution has been drafted according to European standards, but also upholds things which are distinctly Serbian, such as Serbian history and relations between ethnic groups.

Vojislav Kostunica

Author: Radio Television of Serbia

The Serbian Prime Minister stressed that the new supreme legal act represents a new phase in our history and added that it is very important that complete political consensus exists regarding it.

Kostunica said that it is similarly important that such a consensus is displayed by all Serbian citizens, regardless of their ethnic origin and religious beliefs.

Answering to the question concerning cooperation with Serbian President Boris Tadic and Deputy President of the Serbian Radical Party Tomislav Nikolic in the preparation of the Constitution, Kostunica said that agreement on the Constitution was not the first time when a unanimous opinion was reached in Serbian parliament.

Kostunica recalled that it also happened when it came to issues related to Kosovo-Metohija, and there was complete agreement in parliament regarding the matter, which he considers extremely important.