Serbia appoints ruling party lawmaker as cbank governor

   * EU concerned at threat to bank's independence

   * Govt stepping up control over cbank governor

   * Second senior cbank official resigns

(Recasts with election of governor)

   By Matt Robinson

   BELGRADE, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Serbia appointed a lawmaker from the country's ruling coalition as governor of its central bank on Monday, deepening concern over the bank's independence and the new government's commitment to reforms sought by the European Union.

   Parliament endorsed Jorgovanka Tabakovic, a senior member of the co-ruling Serbian Progressive Party, to replace Dejan Soskic, who resigned last week over a law stepping up government control over the bank.

   The law, adopted on Saturday, creates a powerful, parliament-appointed supervisory body to be represented on the bank's executive board and gives the assembly responsibility for appointing its entire top management.

   The Socialist-led government, which took power last month, wants to harness the bank's support for more expansive fiscal policies to spur the moribund economy and curb unemployment of 25 percent.

   It appeared to ignore a warning from the EU that the ex-Yugoslav republic risked taking a "step back" on its path to membership if it tried to undermine the bank's autonomy.

   The International Monetary Fund has cautioned the law would have consequences for a frozen 1 billion euro ($1.23 billion) standby loan deal that the new government says it wants to renegotiate.

   The move is reminiscent of neighbouring Hungary's recent clash with the EU over the independence of its central bank. The EU made Serbia an official candidate for membership in March under the previous Democrat-led government, but has yet to set a date for accession talks.

   RESIGNATION

   "The ruling clique has decided to put the most important monetary institution under its full control," said Nada Kolundzija of the opposition Democratic Party.

   "This will only confirm the many doubts over whether this  government understands what it means to say, 'Yes, we want to join the EU.'"

   Before the vote, central bank vice-governor Bojan Markovic joined Soskic in resigning, saying that the law  "poses a threat to the long-term credibility of monetary policy in Serbia."

   The ruling coalition insists the bank's independence is not under threat, but says it should work in greater harmony with the government as it tries to reverse an economic contraction of 0.6 percent in the second quarter and 1.3 percent in the first.

   The EU is watching closely for any signs of drift from the largely reformist, pro-EU course Serbia took with the fall of Serb leader Slobodan Milosevic in 2000.

   The new government is an alliance of socialists and nationalists that was last in power together at the tail end of Milosevic's 13-year-rule, when Serbia was mired in war and hyperinflation.

   Tabakovic was a minister in that government, having graduated in economics and worked in banking in her native Kosovo, the former southern Serbian province that declared independence in 2008 with Western backing.

   Parliament speaker Nebojsa Stefanovic, a member of the ruling coalition, said no one should fear for the bank's independence, telling journalists:

   "Anyone who has known Mrs Tabakovic for even one day will know she won't be anyone's puppet." ($1 = 0.8104 euros)

(Writing by Matt Robinson. Editing by Jeremy Gaunt, Ron Askew.)