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Plasnik: Nobody brings into question that Vojvodina is in Serbia

admin — Thu, 29 May 2008 08:14:23 +0000

Austrian Foreign Affair Minister Ms. Ursula Plasnik said that stories that Vojvodina will follow Kosovo in the way to independence were absolutely unfounded.
“None in Europe has ever had any doubts related to the future of Vojvodina in Serbia neither mentioned its secession,” said Plasnik for Novi Sad’s “Dnevnik” daily.
Plasnik said that such stories are “speculations” and “mere rumors”. “There will be no changes of Serbian borders and Kosovo is a special case that cannot be taken as precedent”, said Ursula Plasnik.
The Minister Plasnik also added that Austria supports the process of regionalization in Europe, and consequently also in Serbia, and said that there were no any reasons for anybody to spread prejudices about regionalization as the way that leads to secession. Ms. Plesnik also said that Austria belongs to “the most outright advocates” that support the European way of Serbia.

(Beta)

Pihler: Vojvodina will not forget new Constitution to Democratic Party

admin — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 19:20:22 +0000

Dr Stanko Pihler, the President of Forum Iuris, Novi Sad’s NGO that gathers the leading Vojvodina’s lawyers, said for the web–portal www.autonomija.info that Democratic Party has to realize that it should become closer to LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) and not vice versa. He said that Vojvodina would not forget that DS “supported and participated in promulgating the current Constitution, which legally annuls the autonomy of Vojvodina”.
– Now DS speaks about a new Constitution and promotes a certain idea of ‘European autonomy’ whose concept is vague. It is an illusion. A new deception like one about the ‘essential autonomy’ can be suspected only in its northern variant, – said Pihler for www.autonomija.info.
He added that DS in Vojvodina enjoys no legitimacy that could have been expected on the basis of results of the presidential election and that the president of that party won “only owing to votes from Vojvodina”, concluding that one should take into account that it was voting “against” and not “for”.
– DS in Vojvodina is recognized as a weak, undefined and prone to problematic compromises and cohabitations. Time has come when there is not the issue of “and – and” but of “either – or”. Of course, there is the possibility that it can change but when it can happen if it hasn’t changed until now and now. Evident are even gestures of quite irrational vanity, – said Pihler.

Vojvodina Has Brought Victory to Tadić

admin — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:44:17 +0000

According to CESID’s preliminary results, in Vojvodina the presidential candidate Boris Tadić won 55.1 percent votes and his opponent Nikolić 43.6 percent. According to still uncompleted results that could be obtained yesterday from REC and the election headquarters from some voting places in Vojvodina it can be concluded that Tadić has ensured his key advantage here in Vojvodina. In Novi Sad Tadić has won 54.93 percent votes, about 11 percent more than Nikolić. In Zrenjanin Tadić has got 55.22 percent vote and Nikolić nearly 12 percent less, while in Kikinda, where as in Novi Sad the local government is in the hands of the Radicals, Tadić has got 51 percent of votes in comparison to Nikolić’s 47 percent. The greatest victory Tadić has ensured in Subotica where, according to the results of the local DP, he has won 75.88 votes in comparison with Nikolić’s 23.22 percent. Political analyst Jovan Komšić said that Vojvodina has been decisive for results of the presidential election in Serbia.
- Vojvodina has been that gram that tips the scales in direction of Europe – said Komšić, as Beta Agency reports. He said that by voting for Tadić, Vojvodina’s citizens are sending a clear message what state and political parties they want.
The similar opinion has the president of Union of Vojvodina’s Hungarians, Ištvan Pastor who said yesterday that Tadić won in the second round of election owing to citizens of Vojvodina. He said that Vojvodina is the only region in Serbia in which Tadić recorded the convincing victory, leading at the end in his victory at the election.
- This is the fact that shouldn’t be forgotten because it confirms that Vojvodina’s society is permanently determined as regards the European system of values. The Democratic Party should be aware that this determination of Vojvodina’s citizens should be fully respected – said Pastor.
As he said, the possibility of scheduling the extraordinary election shouldn’t be excluded in the course of this year. Pastor added that yesterday morning he signed in Novi Sad an agreement on partnership with representatives of DP, by which DP accepts all amendments of the election program he proposed in the name of Hungarian coalition in the first round of presidential election. As he specified DP only didn’t accept the part of program related to the territorial ethnical autonomy of Hungarians in Vojvodina. He, however, didn’t want to disclose the name of person who signed the agreement in the name of DP nor he enabled journalists to see it.
Asked how the public will know what of the program is being realized, Pastor answered: “So that I am going to tell you, I fear there is no other possibility for you”. The President of the District Council, Milorad Mirčić said yesterday that Tadić’s victory at the presidential election in Vojvodina was ensured by the leaders of Hungarian political parties and Nenad Čanak. He said that SRP had no objections to Tadić’s victory but added that his party is concerned about destiny of Vojvodina and Serbia.
(Gradjanski list)

BRANKA PRPA: Marginalization of Vojvodina’s Tradition

admin — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:43:17 +0000

“Vojvodina had all postulates of a civilized society to be the matrix – the home of Serbian unification but, through intervening in history from the position of political power, Vojvodina’s tradition is being marginalized. Thus, the Serbian people are deprived of culture they have right on”, said for the web portal www.autonomija.info Ms. Branka Prpa, Directress of the Historical Archive of Vojvodina.

She pointed out that in the period of enlightenment the Serbs were arguing about their future matrix - home of culture and that the model of political power prevailed over historical and cultural arguments.

“When, let’s say, you consider the Serbian Orthodox Church, then you see that its only seat was in Sremski Karlovci. The Patriarchate of Peć ceased to exists in the 18th century, and the Serbian Orthodox Church was under jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. This is just one aspect I point out, because the clergy had the important role in the processes of national integrations in this area. When you consider cities, they are also in Vojvodina. The Matica Srpska (The Home of Serbian Culture) is in Vojvodina,” said Ms. Prpa.

Ms. Prpa added that Vojvodina had, as regards building and when its regards the clergy and when it regards the cultural heritage, all predispositions to be the center of Serbian unification.

“And then the conflict had broken out between the elites and the decision was brought under the influence of political power. In this struggle about the future center of Serbian nation, both the advantages of Vojvodina and its heritage were almost completely eliminated. One tradition was simply pushed aside, marginalized. This is what happens when it comes to intervention in history from position of political power. You deprive your people of culture on which they have right”, said Ms. Prpa.

www.autonomija.info

Vrbas: A SRS (Serbian Radical Party) committee member assaulted the female activist of DS

admin — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:26:47 +0000

Democratic Party (DS) in Vrbas criticize today the member of Serbian Radical Party (SRS) Radisav Gelić who assaulted the female activist of Democratic Party B.P. in Bačko Dobro Polje near Vrbas. DS at its press conference stated that the Assembly of Vrbas’ committee member Radisav Gelić, who is also the president of Mandatory–Immunity Commission, in the night between Monday, March 31 and Thursday, April 1, assaulted the female activist of DS, B. P., when she was distributing leaflets in Bačko Dobro Polje.
President of the Executive Committee of the Municipal Committee of DS in Vrbas, Predrag Radović, said that they informed the Vrbas Police Station and submitted the criminal charge against Gelić. The girl who is also the activist of DS and was putting up posters on the other side of the street gave to police her statement being the witness of the incident.
– Gelić first followed B.P in his car and then intercepted her in darkness in the JNA Street and assaulted her physically and verbally, cursing and insulting her. He threatened “to break her head, to strangle her” and grabbed away the propaganda material of DS she held,” – said Radović.
President of Municipal Committee of DS in Bačko Dobro Selo, Dragan Stijepović, said that he expected such behavior of SRS committee member to be properly sanctioned and that all those from SRS performing public functions would not use any more the speech of hatred or use force against those who think differently during the election campaign.

(Beta)

ALEKSANDAR POPOV: Dangerous illusion about traitors

admin — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:24:36 +0000

Director of Novi Sad’s Center for Regionalism, Aleksandar Popov, says that the campaign led by DSS (Democratic Party of Serbia) against pro–European block is an attempt to reduce the topic of elections to division to patriots and traitors. He pointed in the interview for our newspaper that this might even weaken the rating of pro–European coalition if DS and parties of this block were constantly in the defensive position.
– If DS and its coalition partners try to be more offensive in their campaign and make clear to citizens that with DSS they cannot build the European future of Serbia, then division to traitors and patriots will not ‘hold water’. If they allow DSS to impose this theme then the pro–European coalition will be faced with many problems. And from this the Radicals will derive the highest profit, given that the “populists” are already doing the job for them in this or that way, – said Popov.
He said that it was illusion that Serbia could have Kosovo if abandoning the European course and that the society would pay too high price opting for such an illusion.
– Citizens must know how much each of these two options costs and where Serbia will find itself in two years from now if it rejects to cooperate with the most developed countries of the world and with EU – said Popov.
He said that due to the quasi–patriotic rhetoric of the populist block today’s Serbia looked the same as at the beginning of the nineties.
– The fact that DSS has been attempting to turn the focus of campaign away from life problems towards a sort of patriotic story is déjà vu politics led by Milosevic’s regime. We now have the same scheme: defense of Kosovo is the cover up for everything. They impose that division to patriots and traitors and on their list of traitors there is already the name of G17 Plus leader Mladen Dinkić after he informed the coalition partner in the Government that G17 Plus had no intention to take part in the collective madness. However, LSV and Nenad Čanak are for DSS still the “proof” that coalition around DS is “non–patriotic”. Thus it is on the pro–European block to send a clear message to citizens what they will gain and what they will loose choosing between their and populist option, – said Popov.

(Dnevnik)

Concession – a fig for or still figures!

admin — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:30:34 +0000

The Government of Serbia at yesterday’s telephone session decided to prolong the time limit of the Agreement on Concession for the Horgoš–Požega Highway expired on March 31st, the Government announced after the session. The concessionaire promised to fulfill by December 31st the previously agreed conditions i.e. to provide financial backing as foreseen by the Agreement, the Government announced. The Government agreed that time limit for all obligations should be fulfilled at the latest by June 30th, 2008, as stipulated by the Article 24.7 of the Agreement on Concession referring to the financial side of the project.
According to the Agreement on Concession, the closing date by which the Alpina–Porr consortium should submit the bank guaranties for the complete investment expired yesterday and consequently as stipulated by the Agreement, the Government can break the agreement. The Agreement foresees the beginning of works on April 1st, but last week the Government with the majority of votes rejected the proposal submitted by the Ministry of Infrastructure to allow the concessionaire to begin with works because the consortium had failed to provide necessary guaranties having informed the Government that they would finance the works in the first year by their own capital.
Ministers from DS, G17 Plus and SDP parties demanded from the Prime Minister Koštunica to summon the Government session in order to allow the concessionaire the additional 90–day period in order to enable them to provide necessary guaranties. In the meantime, the concessionaire confirmed their interest for the project and expressed wish to maintain the legal validity of the agreement. At the last week’s Government session, Koštunica refused to include on agenda the proposals by DS and G17 Plus on prolongation of time limit to the concessionaire in order to enable them to provide necessary guaranties.
Vice–president of the Government of Serbia Božidar Đelić said that at the telephone session the Government adopted the proposal to give time to the concessionaire for construction of the Horgoš–Požega Highway to complete the technical preparations of works and provide elements of financing until the end of June under condition to cover financial side of the project in full.
“This compromise solution enables the works to start this year,” said Đelić in his telephone statement to Tanjug from Athens where he is currently in the official visit. “I am pleased that the Prime Minister realized that it was necessary to summon this urgent session otherwise the whole concession would have been lost, the Government would have drawn guarantee worth Euro 10 million and then Serbia would have to wait two years to initiate again the construction of Horgoš–Požega Highway,” – concluded Đelić. According to Đelić, the construction of highway is exclusively the economic issue and should not be abused for political purposes. “Those who wanted to abuse the issue of highway stepped back in the last moment. In this way Serbia doesn’t include into this project the concessionaire without all necessary guaranties and on the other side Serbia has the possibility, even if the concessionaire doesn’t fulfill conditions within a new time limit, to begin construction of highway this year”, said Đelić.
Minister of Commerce and Services Predrag Bubalo confirmed that the decision on prolongation of the agreement after March 31st had been adopted. “I can guarantee to the citizens that new Serbian government, which will include coalition DSS–NS, will begin construction of highway on its first working day.” said Bubalo. “Due to absolutely wrong decision brought by our former coalition partners DS and G17 Plus, the works hadn’t started at all but, as I said, I guarantee that new government would instantly start construction of highway”, said Bubalo. “So it is important that today’s government decision leaves the agreement in effect”, said the Minister of Commerce and Services.

(Dnevnik)