Representatives in 17 National Minority Councils will be elected directly, while Polish, Croatian, Macedonian and Montenegrin communities will elect their Councils by elector assembly.
Representatives in 17 National Minority Councils will be elected directly, while Polish, Croatian, Macedonian and Montenegrin communities will elect their Councils by elector assembly, as it was said at the Democratic Political Forum debate organized for the reason that elections in the Councils of national minorities will be held October 26, 2014.
There are various reasons why insufficient number of national minorities members is signing into the special electoral list. Apathy, as well as mistrust towards certain Councils is noted, said the President of Committee for Human and Minority Rights of the Assembly of Serbia Meho Omerović.
According to him, some national councils appeared as an extended arm of certain political parties and sometimes even individuals, which is intolerable for an institution that derives from laws and should present “a roof” in solving particular issues of national minorities.
During the past few days of the campaigns for the Councils elections, there are huge discussions on irrelevant topics, and least of all about issues that are in their jurisdictions, said Omerović, reminding that Councils are taking care about culture, education, official usage of language and alphabet.
Strengthening the trust of national minorities members in Councils, but also strengthening their role is an essential obligation, highlighted Omerović, and announced the amendments to the Law on Councils by the end of the year.
Omerović said that Serbia has secured legislative frame for respect of national communities’ rights, but MPs should not end their work b pressing the buttons when it is time to vote on laws, but also to supervise their implementation.
Absence of other legal acts and regulations necessary for active implementation of the laws happens frequently, said Omerović.
He said that the status of national minorities depends also on the overall economic situation in the country and added that lack of financial means is the reason why local governments and municipalities do not act according to their legal obligation to participate in financing the National Councils.
Meho Omerović said that it is necessary to secure the inclusion of national minorities members in public administration, not only at the local but also on national level.
President of the Management Board of Center for Democracy Foundation Dragoljub Mićunović said that Serbia is the only country in Council of Europe that has unanimously adopted the Declaration on Minorities.
Conventions and laws are important, but, as explained Mićunović, from them to implementation and rule of law there is a big step to be made.
Aleksandar Popov from the Center for Regionalism emphasized that no one is safe in the state where minorities are not safe and that is in the general interest for a minority to “feel good”.
Debate “Status of National Minorities and Elections for National Minorities Councils” was organized by Center for Democracy Foundation and Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
Source: Beta/Fonet, October 8, 2014.
