Belgrade, 24 Nov. (AKI) – The Serbian parliament on Tuesday started a heated debate on the future of the northern Vojvodina province. The province is seeking more autonomy, provoking fears among the opposition that it could seek to secede from Serbia.

Of Serbia’s 7.5 million people, some two million live in the province of Vojvodina, which already enjoys a degree of autonomy, including local government and a parliament with limited powers.

But the local parliament last year adopted a new statute for the province, which provides for more legislative powers, financial independence, the right to conclude international agreements and its own diplomatic missions abroad.

The draft of the new statute was approved by Vojvodina's regional assembly in October last year and now seems to have secured support from a majority of MPs in the Serbian parliament.

But opposition leaders say they fear Vojvodina might follow the example of Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in February last year.

Former prime minister Vojislav Kostunica’s centre-right Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) opposes Vojvodina's new statute and has started a campaign against it.

Kostunica (photo) has threatened to take the case to the Constitutional Court if the new statute is approved by the parliament.