Q:
A:
Constitutional Charter must be respected
Belgrade,
31 December 2004
In an interview for New Year’s edition of Politika, Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica spoke about government’s priorities for 2005, Serbia’s new constitution, cooperation with the Hague tribunal, preservation of the state union and respect of the Constitutional Charter. The Serbian government’s official website brings excerpts from the interview.
Vojislav Kostunica
Priorities for 2005:
What awaits Serbia is the adoption of a new constitution, cooperation with the Hague tribunal, resolving the problem of Kosovo-Metohija and preservation of the state union. Whether the greatest part of the job will be completed in 2005 depends only on us. To be more precise, we cannot shift the responsibility for passing the new constitution to someone else.
Another issue is the functioning of the state union. It is frightening that the Constitutional Charter is not respected. In order to preserve the state union of Serbia-Montenegro, the Constitutional Charter must be respected.
The problem of Kosovo-Metohija:
The Serbian government made a decentralisation plan for Kosovo-Metohija, which would protect Serbs in implementing their elementary human rights. Serbia will insist that this plan is implemented next year and that the “standards-before-status” principle is applied. Only when standards are established can we speak about the future status of the province. The Serbian government made the first step. The cooperation with the Hague tribunal:
We are an European state and we must think about our steps leading us toward European integration. We should bear in mind the obligations to the Hague tribunal. A feasibility study for Serbia-Montenegro’s EU accession will be granted only if we fully cooperate with The Hague.
The government’s work during 2004:
The Serbian government was not given the chance to use the whole year. The previous government did not adopt the 2004 budget. On March 17, violence in Kosovo-Metohija erupted. The institutions in Serbia were not functioning. The relations between political parties were disturbed. All that is behind us, fortunately.
The most important event in Serbia in 2004:
It is hard to take out one event. But, there was production growth, above all. Then, we got relieved from part of the debt to the London Club of creditors, and we settled the debt issue with Russia. We adopted 79 laws, and 24 more are waiting for adoption in the parliament. These laws should create a framework for the normal functioning of the economy, for investing, but for a normal life and legal security as well.
Serbia’s new constitution:
A consensus of all political parties needs to be reached first. We should start from breaking with the previous regime. Serbia will get its new constitution in 2005.
Whether the state union survive in 2005:
I am certain it will survive. There is a problem only in Montenegro, actually in one its part. I am sure that EU High Representative Javier Solana will make additional effort to help Montenegro overcome that problem.
Message to citizens of Serbia for the New Year:
We solved many problems. There would not have been for some of those problems had there not been wars, sanctions, sufferings. The communism that ruled for 50 years cannot be forgotten either. The problems are being solved at the government, the things are normalising. The economy is setting in motion, the institutions are more stable, there is more security, and less fear. We enter the New Year with that. It will make us solve the problems awaiting us more easily in the forthcoming year.
What awaits Serbia is the adoption of a new constitution, cooperation with the Hague tribunal, resolving the problem of Kosovo-Metohija and preservation of the state union. Whether the greatest part of the job will be completed in 2005 depends only on us. To be more precise, we cannot shift the responsibility for passing the new constitution to someone else.
Another issue is the functioning of the state union. It is frightening that the Constitutional Charter is not respected. In order to preserve the state union of Serbia-Montenegro, the Constitutional Charter must be respected.
The problem of Kosovo-Metohija:
The Serbian government made a decentralisation plan for Kosovo-Metohija, which would protect Serbs in implementing their elementary human rights. Serbia will insist that this plan is implemented next year and that the “standards-before-status” principle is applied. Only when standards are established can we speak about the future status of the province. The Serbian government made the first step. The cooperation with the Hague tribunal:
We are an European state and we must think about our steps leading us toward European integration. We should bear in mind the obligations to the Hague tribunal. A feasibility study for Serbia-Montenegro’s EU accession will be granted only if we fully cooperate with The Hague.
The government’s work during 2004:
The Serbian government was not given the chance to use the whole year. The previous government did not adopt the 2004 budget. On March 17, violence in Kosovo-Metohija erupted. The institutions in Serbia were not functioning. The relations between political parties were disturbed. All that is behind us, fortunately.
The most important event in Serbia in 2004:
It is hard to take out one event. But, there was production growth, above all. Then, we got relieved from part of the debt to the London Club of creditors, and we settled the debt issue with Russia. We adopted 79 laws, and 24 more are waiting for adoption in the parliament. These laws should create a framework for the normal functioning of the economy, for investing, but for a normal life and legal security as well.
Serbia’s new constitution:
A consensus of all political parties needs to be reached first. We should start from breaking with the previous regime. Serbia will get its new constitution in 2005.
Whether the state union survive in 2005:
I am certain it will survive. There is a problem only in Montenegro, actually in one its part. I am sure that EU High Representative Javier Solana will make additional effort to help Montenegro overcome that problem.
Message to citizens of Serbia for the New Year:
We solved many problems. There would not have been for some of those problems had there not been wars, sanctions, sufferings. The communism that ruled for 50 years cannot be forgotten either. The problems are being solved at the government, the things are normalising. The economy is setting in motion, the institutions are more stable, there is more security, and less fear. We enter the New Year with that. It will make us solve the problems awaiting us more easily in the forthcoming year.
