Politics of Novi Sad

Novi Sad is the capital of the Serbian province of Vojvodina, and second largest city in Serbia.

Political history

The edict of empress Maria Theresa of Austria that made Novi Sad a "free royal city" was proclaimed on February 1, 1748. That is also a time when current name of the city was introduced. In various languages it was written as: Neoplantae (Latin), Új-Vidégh (Hungarian), Neusatz (German), and Novi Sad (Serbian). Today, the administration of the city mainly use Serbian, while Hungarian, Slovak and Rusyn are also in official use.

Since 2002, when the new statute of Novi Sad came into effect, City of Novi Sad is divided into 46 local communities and two urban municipalities, Novi Sad and Petrovaradin. City has its parliament, governing mayor and a city council.

Mayor

The executive branch is headed by the Mayor of Novi Sad City, who is elected by direct popular vote. The mayor's term is four years, and he or she is currently limited to two terms in office. Until 2004, all mayors and municipality presidents in Serbia were elected by the city's and municipality parliaments. After changes in the law, in 2004 elections, all mayors and municipality presidents (except for urban municipalities) were elected by direct popular vote.

The City's first mayor elected by direct popular vote in September of 2004 is Maja Gojković, from Serbian Radical Party; after winning by a slight majority the previous President of the city Assembly, Borislav Novaković (DS). [ [http://www.cesid.org/lokalni2004/rezultati.jsp?opstina=80284 Election results by Cesid] ]

Parliament

The parliament of Novi Sad is the lawmaking body of the City. It comprises 78 members from 46 local communities throughout the two municipalities. The Parliament monitors performance of city agencies and makes land use decisions as well as legislating on a variety of other issues. The Parliament also has sole responsibility for approving the city budget. The Council has seventeen committees with oversight of various functions of the city government. City has also committee for improving and protection of the city's national minorities.

Parliament members are elected every four years. From 2008 local elections in Serbia, coalition For a European Serbia won most seats in the City parliament, and formed a coalition with Together for Vojvodina and the Hungarian Coalition; ending the four years long reign of the Serbian Radical Party and Democratic Party of Serbia.

Council

Council is a body that coordinates between City's parliament and Mayor and manage the City. It has 11 members who are elected by the mayor and confirmed by the parliament. Chairman of the council is the mayor. Council has also a responsibility for conferred City's budget and helps the mayor with governing.

Municipalities

Between 1980 and 1989, the city was divided into seven municipalities: Stari Grad, Podunavlje, Liman, Slavija, Petrovaradin, Detelinara, and Sremski Karlovci. In 1989, six of those were merged into single municipality named "Novi Sad", while municipality of Sremski Karlovci was separated from the city and became completely separate administrative unit.

In 2002, the municipality of Novi Sad was divided into two urban municipalities, Novi Sad and Petrovaradin; making the way on the changes of the law in Serbian parliament which says that the city status in Serbia is only possible if the city is divided into two or more urban municipalities. Since then, city status have, besides Belgrade, also Niš, Kragujevac, and Novi Sad.

Municipality of Novi Sad includes: "Novi Sad proper", Futog, Veternik, Begeč, Budisava, Kać, Kovilj, Kisač, Rumenka, Stepanovićevo, and Čenej. Municipality of Petrovaradin includes: Petrovaradin, Sremska Kamenica, Bukovac, Ledinci, and Stari Ledinci. Geographically, the municipality of Novi Sad is located in Bačka, while municipality of Petrovaradin is located in Syrmia.

By city statute from 2002, Novi Sad's municipalities do not have any "real" power of decision making and do not have bodies which municipalities normally have in Serbia. Like other cities in Serbia, Novi Sad doesn't have direct elections for municipality parliaments. Members of parliament in the Novi Sad's two urban municipalities comprise City's parliament members who are elected in territory of the municipality.

Municipalities of Novi Sad were established because of the sole reason that Novi Sad can get city status in Serbia. Future of this municipalities is questionable, because ruling party in Novi Sad (Serbian Radical Party) is against municipalities. Keeping in mind that under new constitution of Serbia (from November 2006), cities do not have to be divided into municipalities to get "city status".

Local communities

Besides two municipalities, Petrovaradin and Novi Sad; Novi Sad is also divided into 46 local communities (Serbian: Mesne zajednice / Месне заједнице).

Every local community has its own council, which comprises one or two MPs in the city's parliament and community president. President is elected by majority of residents on local meetings.

Local community has annual meetings (couple of times in one month). On local meetings are present members of the council as well as local residents. Meetings are good for discussing local meters, like constructions of new buildings, new roads, complains of the local residents, etc; and off course, to address their local City's MPs, who can pass their complains onto City's officials.

City holidays

City also commemorates the year 1694, when city was established.

treet names

In 2007, the Novi Sad city authorities led by the Serbian Radical Party decided to rename a few of the city streets after men who participated in the Battle of Vukovar. The opposition councilors left the assembly’s session in protest, however the assembly still decided to support the renaming. [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2007&mm=04&dd=04&nav_category=90&nav_id=40513]

Twin cities

Novi Sad is twinned with the following cities:

* Budva, Montenegro (1996) * Changchun, People's Republic of China (1981) * Dortmund, Germany (1982) * Helioupolis, Greece (1994)

* Modena, Italy (1974) * Nizhny Novgorod, Russia (2006) * Norwich, United Kingdom (1989) * Timişoara, Romania (2005)

Agreement on joint cooperation:

* Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2006), * Gothenburg (Sweden, 2002), * Frunzensky District in Saint Petersburg (Russia, 2003), * Lviv (Ukraine, 1999),

* Nant (France, 2002, on improving public transportation), * Pécs (Hungary, 2002), * Szeged (Hungary, 2005), * Ulm (Germany, 2002).

Agreement on international tolerance [PDFlink| [http://www.centar-za-mir.hr/dokumenti/Protocol_on_Interethnic_Tolerance.pdf Protocol on Interethnic Tolerance between Osijek, Tuzla and Novi Sad] |114 KiB ] with towns flagicon|HRV Osijek (Croatia) and flagicon|BIH Tuzla (Bosnia and Herzegovina) signed in 2002.

The Novi Sad Friendship Bridge in Norwich, United Kingdom, by Buro Happold, was named in honour of Novi Sad.

References

External links

* [http://www.gradnovisad.org.yu/files/upload/44.pdf Informatory of the work of city bodies] sr icon
* [http://www.gradnovisad.org.yu/ Official site] sr icon en icon
* [http://skupstinans.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 City's assembly] - Official site sr icon