Assembly meets to elect government, PM-designate Macut: "Students are priority, education reforms to follow"
A special session of the National Assembly to elect Serbia's new government started today in Belgrade around 10 am.
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That is the only item on the agenda, and PM-designate Djuro Macut addressed deputies saying he will present the government's program and the composition of the new cabinet.
"We must act immediately in the field of education and change many things. Generations have suffered so that today we would have a state that is sacred, Serbia is sacred because of the sacrifices made for it," Macut said and added:
"Protests are a natural manifestation of youth, but not blockades as a form of denying others the right to get an education. My obligation is to discuss all the grievances, but in accordance with the law and the Constitution. For me as a professor, all students are the same and they are all our children. They are my top priority."
He noted that it is unacceptable for schools not to work and that legal provisions are not being respected during the strike.
"Primary and secondary schools must urgently return to regular classes. I call on all rectors, deans, professors to urgently find solutions. This situation is a direct threat to our (Belgrade) University," he pointed out.
173 deputies are present in the National Assembly.
A part of the opposition announced they would not attend the session.
Macut yesterday submitted to the Assembly a proposal for the composition of the Government of Serbia, along with resumes of incoming ministers.
The new government will have, as before, 31 members, and compared to the Government led by Milos Vucevic, a third of them will be new ministers.
(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)