Serbian parliament elects Prime Minister’s government

Belgrade, Aug 12 (IANS) Serbia's parliament voted on Tuesday 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, Xinhua news agency reported.

Summarising the programme of the future government at the beginning of the parliament session on Tuesday, Vucic promised members of Parliament 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 Labour 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.

Vucic and his whole cabinet of ministers would take 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.