Serbian parliament elects governement of Prime Minister Vucic

Serbia's parliament voted on Thursday for the election of a new government presided by Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic.

The new government, elected with 163 out of 250 MP votes, consists of ministers from the ruling coalition of Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party and the smaller partner Socialist Party of Serbia Ivica Dacic.

Vucic and his whole cabinet of ministers took an official oath after the end of the voting at the parliament, marking the official beginning of their four-year term to lead the country.

Voting at the National Assembly of Serbia was preceded by a parliamentary debate where representatives of all political parties discussed the composition of the new government proposed by Vucic, leader of the Serbian Progressive Party whose coalition won 131 MP seats at the election.

After the voting, Vucic thanked MPs for their support and said the new government awaits serious and responsible work for the country's interest.

"We want to fight for a country where everyone will want to stay, and for one's descendants to live in and where people will be able to live better than we do now," Vucic said, adding that new government will be dedicated to Serbia's interests.

Summarizing the program of the future government at the beginning of the parliament session on Tuesday, Vucic promised MPs that the new government will close all 35 chapters of the EU negotiations before the end of the four-year mandate.

The new government will have four deputy prime ministers who will also perform ministerial duties.

Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic and president of the Serbian Socialist Party, smaller partner in the government, will remain as first deputy Prime Minister, while other deputies will be Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic, Trade Minister Rasim Ljajic and Construction Minister Zorana Mihajlovic.

The new government will consist of 16 ministries, the same as the previous one. Ministers will be replaced in six areas -- economy, agriculture, justice, public administration and local self-government, education, culture and media.

New minister of public administration and local self-government is Ana Brnabic, the Economy Ministry will be led by Goran Knezevic, while Nela Kuburovic will be put in charge of justice.

Mladen Sarcevic will be Serbia's new minister of education, Branislav Nedimovic is now in charge of agriculture, while Vladan Vukosavljevic will take over the area of culture.

Dusan Vujovic will continue to be finance minister, Aleksandar Antic will keep the area of mining while Zoran Djordjevic will stay at the place of defense minister.

Health Minister Zlatibor Loncar remain at his post as well as Labor Minister Aleksandar Vulin and Sport Minister Vanja Udovicic.

The new government will also have three ministers without portfolios instead of one -- Jadranka Joksimovic will remain to be in charge of European Integrations, while new ministers without portfolios are Slavica Djukic Dejanovic and Milan Krkobabic.

Source : XINHUA