They have put in front of us the finished act – the referendum for the new Constitution of the Republic of Serbia. Should responsible citizens accept a constitution that:
1. Was created in secrecy, approved and bestowed by the grace of the political elite;
2. Excluded citizens, the expertise of the public, institutions, and organizations that should know about, participate in, and influence the creation of a new constitution;
3. Is discriminatory because it makes no mention of the female gender. Such an inclusion is an important aspect of democracy.
4. Is full of empty slogans without any legal obligation to enforce them. It is written in the Constitution ‘that the military is under civil control,’ but it is not said under whose control; ‘that the judiciary is independent,’ but it is clear that it will be controlled; it institutes constitutional appeals in cases in which human rights have been violated, but it is not clear to who this right to appeal is granted;
5. Means that Serbia formally cannot retain Kosovo because the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia includes no obligation to the United Nations.
6. Does not define Serbia as a state of citizens; this encourages international tension and hinders the democratic stabilization of our state.
We are considering if we will turn out for the referendum. If we do not turn out, we will force the government to announce elections for the legislative assembly that would include citizens in the process of creating the Constitution. In this manner, we will break with the authoritarian Milosevic regime, the uncontrolled government, the criminal past and war crimes.
This is initiated by:
-The Coalition for a Secular State:
o Belgrade Centre for Human Rights
o The Center for Peace and The Development of Democracy
o The Center for the Advancement of Legal Studies
o Voice of Difference
o Women in Black
o The Women in Black Network—Serbia: Babusnica, Bor, Boljevac, Dimitrovgrad, Kikinda, Kragujevac, Kraljevo, Krusevac, Leskovac, Nis, Becej, Novi Pazar, Novi Sad, Pancevo, Pirot, Priboj, Prijepolje, Sjenica, Tutin, Vlasotince, Vranje, Vrbas, Zajecar and Zrenjanin
And joined by:
The Belgrade Feminist Coalition:
o The Autonomous Women’s Center
o Voice of Difference
o The Center for Women’s Studies
o Incest Trauma Center
o The Reconstruction Women’s Fund
o Women in Black
Queeria, Belgrade
Urban In, Novi Pazar
Citizen action for human rights, Priboj
The G8 Coalition:
o The Youth Initiative for Human Rights
o The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights—Serbia
o Belgrade Circle
o The Fund for Humanitarian Law
o YUKOM
o The Center for Cultural Decontamination
o Civic Initiative
o Women in Black
