Provincial assembly of Vojvodina, proclaims statute. What comes after....

The Vojvodina statute has been proclaimed in ceremonial session of the provincial assembly this Monday.

Egereši is seen at the Vojvodina assembly today (Beta)Vojvodina Executive Council President Bojan Pajtić and Assembly President Šandor Egereši addressed the deputies before the statute was proclaimed.Egereši evaluated that the proclaimed statute is a “framework for concrete contents of autonomy” which alone would mean nothing. “The statute is the model not only for Serbia but also for Europe in promoting the rights of Vojvodina's citizens, their better standard of living, while together with the Law on determination of jurisdiction it is a prerequisite of economic development,” Egereši told reporters after the ceremony.

Egereši said that the statute means victory of democracy and confirmation of Serbia's European path. 86 members of the assembly from the ruling DS-led coalition voted in favor, while three deputies from the opposition DSS-NS list voted against. The opposition Serb Radicals (SRS) and Serb Progressives (SNS) did not attend the session, saying that the statute is a separatist act that will lead to the breakup of Serbia.

Serbian President Boris Tadić, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković and Parliamentary Speaker Slavica Đukić-Dejanović have all been invited to attend the ceremonial session, but none of them showed up in Novi Sad today. Đukić-Dejanović sent a "telegram of support" to the Vojvodina assembly, reports said. The provincial assembly adopted the statute draft on October 14, 2008, but it took over a year to reach the agenda of the state parliament. The Serbian parliament approved the document, as well as all accompanying laws for transferring authorities to Vojvodina, on November 30, 2009.

"Serbia gets guarantee for integrity preservation"President Boris Tadić expressed his satisfaction over the proclamation of the statute of AP (autonomous province) Vojvodina and stated that Serbia got a firm guarantee for the preservation of the country's integrity and an opportunity to help the economic development of the state via regional European cooperation.

While visiting Sremska Mitrovica, Tadić pointed out that there are considerable funds for the regional development in Europe and pointed out that Serbia has to establish a state system which will enable an access to these funds. "People should have good living conditions in order to be proud of their country and to love it," the Serbian president underscored.

Tadić also stated said that Serbia should not stay isolated in the EU integration process not only in view of economy but also culture. "The fate of Europe was defined for many times on this territory and the anniversary of the Edict of Milan, which is to be marked in 2013, is approaching giving an opportunity to prove that Serbia is an inseparable part of Europe a year before the agenda presented by Georgios Papandreou," Tadić said.