Mandić remains President of the Parliament of Montenegro

(Patria) - Andrija Mandić, president of the New Serbian Democracy and leader of the former pro-Russian Democratic Front, will remain the president of the Parliament of Montenegro, as the opposition initiative for his dismissal did not receive enough votes.

By secret ballot, 44 MPs voted for Mandić to remain at the head of the parliament, while 27 voted for his dismissal. The Montenegrin parliament has 81 MPs.

Mandić's dismissal was demanded by the strongest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Socialists, because he "grossly abused the Parliament for party, nationalist, and anti-European interests".

The immediate reason was Mandić's reception of the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, who visited Montenegro immediately after a meeting with the presidents of Russia and Belarus, Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko.

Dodik's visit caused strong reactions in Montenegro, and even Bosnia and Herzegovina, which sent a protest note to the Montenegrin authorities, referring to the fact that the BiH flag was not displayed at the joint press conference, but only the flag of Republika Srpska.

- Mandić represents those who pursue national-chauvinistic policies, a promoter of Greater Serbian nationalism; for him, Karadžić and Mladić (convicted war criminals) are heroes - stated DPS MP Ivan Vuković, explaining the request for Mandić's dismissal.

He also recalled Mandić's stance that genocide did not occur in Srebrenica. Furthermore, Mandić was criticized for being in the election headquarters of Aleksandar Vučić's party on the day of the parliamentary elections in Serbia.

The DPS announced that Mandić should not be at the head of the parliament because he placed a tricolor, identical to the official national flag of Serbia, in a place of honor in the office of the President of the Parliament of Montenegro.

The opposition further announced that Mandić is a "millstone around the neck" of a European Montenegro and that because of him, "the vast majority of ambassadors from Western countries bypass the Montenegrin parliament".

Mandić did not respond to the accusations and sharp qualifications of the opposition, saying that citizens are interested in the results delivered by the parliamentary majority.

- Since political opponents claim that I am a problem for European integration, perhaps Mr. Oliver Varhelyi (EU Commissioner for Enlargement) knows better. He and others from Brussels with whom I have spoken value what the parliament and I personally have done - said Mandić.

In addition to Mandić's party, MPs from the ruling coalition supported him - Prime Minister Milojko Spajić's Europe Now Movement (PES), Deputy Prime Minister Aleksa Bečić's Democrats, and the Socialist People's Party.

Although they did not vote for Mandić's dismissal, no MP from the Europe Now Movement spoke during the parliamentary session.

Mandić is the leader of the former pro-Russian Democratic Front, which was in opposition to Milo Đukanović until 2020, whose party then lost power.

The programmatic guidelines of the Democratic Front included withdrawing recognition of Kosovo's independence, lifting sanctions against Russia imposed in 2014 after the annexation of Crimea, and Montenegro's withdrawal from NATO.