Civic Action Towards New Constitution in Serbia

B92
TANGO (Technical Assistance for NGOs)

06 September 2005

Citizens of Serbia should organize actions to force the Government to speed up the process of adoption of New Constitution, said Zoran Lutovac to �Dnevnik� daily from Novi Sad, and added that the citizens not only have the right, but it is desirable for them to take active participation in the constitutional process.

Zoran Lutovac greeted the civic society's pressure for new Constitution

He greeted the announced petition by the Union of Workers and Stock-Holders of Serbia, for a referendum on the adoption of new Constitution and election of deputies for the Constitutional Assembly.

According to Lutovac, such initiatives, together with the pressure coming from the European Union, could �...significantly shake the Government and force them into a more dedicated effort towards the new Constitution�.

"It is clear that the ruling parties had no true intent to get involved in a process of constitutional change, but opened and closed that question on the basis of their parties� interests�, he said.

Zoran Lutovac, an analyst with the Belgrade based Institute of Social Sciences, headed the team of experts that worked on a draft-Constitution, established by President Boris Tadic. (B92 via TANGO)