Representatives of ethnic minorities, primarily local Hungarians and Croats, are now sceptical about the draft of the new constitution, after they seemed satisfied with the document when it was approved by the Serbian National Assembly last Saturday. The new constitution must be supported by two thirds of votes at a referendum to be officially promulgated.
"The new Constitution does not define either legislative or executive or judicial authorities of Vojvodina," constitution law professor Marijana Pajvancic was quoted by the Novi Sad-based daily "Dnevnik" as saying.
Vojvodina's Deputy Prime Minister Tamas Korhecz has said that Vojvodina will be granted autonomy under (Serbia's) tutelage.
He warns that it is the Serbian parliament that will adopt laws from areas of interest for the province of Vojvodina, all of which can limit the province's autonomy.
The chairman of the Croatian National Council, Josip Pekanovic, said on Thursday that the new constitution had serious shortcomings and that a decision on whether Croats should go to the referendum or boycott it would be made at a a session of this council, which is the umbrella organisation of Croat minority associations.
The leader of the strongest party of ethnic Hungarians, Jozsef Kasza, withdrew his previous suggestion to Hungarians to go to the referendum, explaining that his party would consider the matter.
He went on to say that he had expressed his support to the constitution after Serbian government officials promised him that the document would be in the interest of ethnic Hungarians. However, he added, the version of the text approved by the parliament differed from what was promised.