Markovic specified that the draft laws will then be presented before the Serbian government and later be examined by Serbian parliament.
He said that the issue of holding local elections has been resolved through decrees of Constitutional Law, according to which elections for local organs of government must be held within 60 days of adopting laws on local self-government and local elections.
According to Markovic, the elections for local authorities are to be held according to Constitutional Law within 60 days of adopting laws and in that manner the date of elections for local self-governments is decided, and the mandates of all organs of local authorities have been prolonged, which is also valid for municipal assemblies in which interim administration has been established.
Speaking on the draft law on the capital city, the Minister said that Belgrade needs enhanced jurisdiction, and added that the Ministry’s position is that currently the number of municipalities in Serbia should not be changed, the same being valid for new cities.
He said that the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government is also working on the bill on associations as well as on the draft law on national minorities.
We already have a good draft law on associations, which was drafted by the Ministry in its former term in cooperation with non-governmental organisations and we do not intend to change the fundamental contents of that law, said Markovic.
He stressed that the biggest challenge for the Ministry will be the law on national minorities, which should regulate the elections of national councils of national minorities, their jurisdiction and financing, and its implementation is expected to begin by the end of 2008.