The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, set Friday, 27 March 2009, starting at 10 a.m., as a Day to Respond to Deputies’ Questions regarding these current issues:

“The results and Consequences of the Cooperation of the Republic of Serbia with The Hague Tribunal”, proposed by the Serbian Radical Part Deputy Group and “Realising AP Vojvodina Autonomy, the Issue of Confirmation of the AP Vojvodina Statute and Preparation and Discussion of the Law Regulating the Division of Jurisdiction between the Republic of Serbia and Provincial Autonomy”, proposed by the Liberal-Democratic Party Deputy Group, under article 204 of the Rules of Procedure.

SRP, LDP and DPS deputies expressed their displeasure at the decision to have two important issues discussed on the same day: cooperation with The Hague Tribunal and the Statute of Vojvodina. SRP and DPS deputies decided not to attend the discussion, while LDP deputies, dissatisfied with the organisation of the Day to Respond to Deputies’ Questions, dropped their initiative.

The following deputies posed questions: Vladan Batic, Zlata Djeric, Cedomir Jovanovic, Judita Popovic, Tomislav Nikolic, Milos Aligrudic, Dragan Todorovic, Miroslav Markicevic, Balint Pasztor, Konstantin Arsenovic, Mirko Cikiriz, Nenad Canak, Oto Kismartin, Aleksandra Jankovic, Aleksandra Jerkov, Slobodan Maras, Zoran Babic, Olena Papuga, Vuceta Toskovic and Zoran Masic.

The questions were answered by: Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic, Minister of Justice Snezana Malovic, Minister of Education Dr Zarko Obradovic, Minister for National Investment Plan Verica Kalanovic, Minister of Labour and Social Policy Rasim Ljajic and Minister of Human and Minority Rights Svetozar Ciplic.

To the question when the Bill on Jurisdiction of Vojvodina will be drafted, Prime Minister Cvetkovic responded that the bill is in its final phase and that some additional alterations are possible.

The President of the National Council for Cooperation with The Hague Tribunal and Government Minister Rasim Ljajic answered the various questions concerning Serbia’s cooperation with The Hague Tribunal. The deputies asked what the Government will do, after The Hague Tribunal’s recent rulings against former Serbian political leaders, to inform the international community about the crimes KLA (OVK/UCK) committed against Serbs and other non-Albanians in Kosovo-Metohija and if it will initiate proceedings against Walker who gave false testimony in Racak case. The deputies criticised the Government’s attitude towards the Tribunal, stressing that the state does not have a clear strategy of cooperation with the court. They also requested that cases The Hague did not rule on be renewed before Serbian courts.

Responding to the questions, Minister Ljajic said that Serbia does not lack the political will to complete the cooperation with The Hague Tribunal, however, that cannot be done in a roundabout way, but only by extraditing the remaining two defendants. He reminded that Holland insisted on the extradition of Ratko Mladic and that the pressure on Serbia will not abate until he is delivered to the Court.

Ljajic also said that he had pointed out to chief prosecutor Brammertz that the Tribunal employs a double standard in its rulings and reminded the deputies that the sentence pronounced to Hajradinaj is not final and that Serbia will continue to forward accusatory documents against him to the court.

Speaking about The Hague, Minister Malovic stressed that steps have been undertaken to enable repeated proceedings in certain rulings.

To the question when a strategy of uniform regional development of Serbia will be adopted, Minister Kalanovic responded that the Government is working on it intensively. Above all, measures for the implementation of the support program to undeveloped municipalities will be realized by stimulating entrepreneurship, developing infrastructure and everything else in the citizens’ interest. Concerning it, Minister Kalanovic pointed out the importance of regionalisation of Serbia.