The Serbian Assembly MPs have elected today the 12th government since the introduction o the political pluralism in 1990. The cabinet of Prime Minister Ivica Dacic will consist of 17 ministries and 19 members.
The new government will be comprised of the coalitions gathered around the Progressive Party, Socialist Party, United regions of Serbia, Social Democratic Party and the Party of Democratic Action. Prime Minister designate and candidate for the Minister of Interior Ivica Dacic has proposed the program and composition of the government. After the debate, the MPs have voted on the program of the government and election of the prime minister and members of the cabinet. Finally, the ministers are to take an oath before the MPs, thus starting the turn of the new government.
The deputy prime ministers will be: Aleksandar Vucic, in charge of defense and security, and battle against organized crime and corruption; Suzana Grubjesic, for the European integrations; Jovan Krkobabic and Rasim Ljajic. Vucic will also be the minister of defense, Ljajic the minister of trade, telecommunications and information society, while Krkobabic will be the minister of labor and social policy. The Progressive Party has suggested Ivan Mrkic as the minister of foreign affairs; Goran Knezevic as the minister of agriculture, forestry and water management; Zorana Mihajlovic as the minister of energy, development and environmental protection. Other suggestions from the Progressive party are: Nikola Selakovic for the minister of justice and state administration; Bratislav Petkovic for the minister of culture, information and diaspora; Milan Bacevic for the minister of natural resources, mining and spatial planning; while our famous chess player Alisa Maric is the candidate for the minister of sport and youth.
The Socialist Party’s candidate for the minister of education, science and scientific development is Zarko Obradovic; for the minister of traffic Milutin Mrkonjic; and the minister of health Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic. Leader of the New Serbia Velimir Ilic had been member of the election list headed by the Progressive Party, and he is a candidate for the minister of construction and urban planning. Leader of the Party of Democratic Action Sulejman Ugljanin will be the minister without portfolio. Mladjan Dinkic the candidate of the United Regions for the post of the minister of finances and economy, and Verica Kalanovic for the minister of regional development and local self-government.
The 6th government since the democratic changes in 2000 will consist of 14 men and 5 women, with the average age of 51.5 years. The oldest among the ministers is Jovan Krkobabic, born in 1930, while the youngest is Nikola Selakovic, born in 1983. All members of the government have at least the university diploma, and six of them have PhD and three have master degrees. Most ministers have graduated from the faculties of political science and economy – four from each, while another three are jurists. Out of 19 government members, for ten this will be their first ministerial term, while nine have already had experience in that position.
Prime Minister designate Ivica Dacic has stated that this government will be most compact and efficient one since 1990. The government can count with the support of more than 140 delegates in the parliament, and its primary goals, as formulated in the coalition agreement from July 10, are the acceleration of the European integrations, economic stability, battle against corruption and crime, as well as the social justice.
During the debate on the bills on government, ministries and management of security services of the Republic of Serbia, whose passing was the precondition for electing the government, the opposition has criticized the suggested solutions. First and foremost the lack of a separate ministry for human and minority rights, the ministry of Kosovo and Metohija being replaced by an office with the same competences, and the same change in taking care of the diaspora, i.e. having an office do the job that had been entrusted to a separate ministry.