October 15, 2009

15. October 2009.

The Ministry of Human and Minority Rights began developing electoral rolls for ethnic minorities yesterday. This activity will last over the next 120 days, after which the national councils of ethnic minorities in Serbia will be elected. The election of members of these councils will take place at the beginning of next year. The Albanian ethnic minority, which according to the 2002 census has around 61,000 members in Serbia, without Kosovo and Metohija, will elect its representatives in the council for the first time.

State Secretary of the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights Ms.Aniko Muskinja – Hajnrih says that national councils make it possible for representatives of ethnic minorities to reach decisions in the spheres of education, culture, information and the official use of the language and alphabet. ”Apart from other things, ethnic minorities, through the councils, can have an influence on the selection of members of school boards at schools where classes are conducted in the language of a specific ethnic minority and they can also give their opinion on a candidate that applies for the school principal.”

The councils are funded from the budget of the Republic of Serbia and through the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights. “The councils receive monthly amounts, which depend on the number of council members, as well as on the agreement reached by the Coordination of the National Councils, which is a joint informal body of the councils, “Ms. Aniko Muskinja Hajnrih said.