URA and opposition sign initiative for no-confidence vote in the Government of Montenegro

(Patria) - MPs of the Civic Movement URA and opposition parties initiated a no-confidence vote today against the 42nd Government of Montenegro. As stated in the initiative, signed by 31 MPs, they consider it "one of the basic postulates of modern democracy" to verify the Government's support in Parliament.

The signatories are MPs of the coalition "Crno na bijelo" Miloš Konatar, Srđan Pavićević, Božena Jelušić and Suada Zoronjić, from the Bosniak Party Kenana Strujić-Habić, Amer Samilović and Ervin Ibrahimović, Fatmir Đeka and Genci Nimanbegu from Albanian parties, DPS MPs Danijel Živković, Aleksandra Vuković, Jevto Eraković, Nikola Raković, Dragica Sekulić, Marta Šćepanović, Vesna Pavićević, Miloš Nikolić, Nikola Janović, Daliborka Pejović, Branko Čavor, Suzana Pribilović, Abaz Dizdarević, Jovanka Lalićić, Andrija Nikolić and Lidija Kljajić, from the Liberal Party Andrija Popović, MPs Ivan Brajović, Damir Šehović and Boris Mugoša from SD, as well as Raško Konjević and Draginja Vuksanović Stanković from SDP.

As stated, the reasons for voting on a confidence check of the Government are: 

• that at the Fifth session of the Second Regular Sitting of the Parliament of Montenegro on 29.12.2021, interpellations were voted on for the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, and the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, making it clear that the aforementioned three ministers do not have the support of the parliamentary majority;

• that the Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić announced he would refuse to act on the interpellations for the dismissal of three ministers, thereby showing that he does not respect the Constitution and laws of Montenegro, nor the basic democratic principles of respecting Parliament as the highest legislative body that elected the composition of the 42nd Government of Montenegro;

• that at the Fourth session of the First Regular (spring) Sitting in 2021, on 17.06.2021, the Minister of Justice and Human and Minority Rights was dismissed, and to this day the Prime Minister has not proposed a new minister to Parliament, directly jeopardizing reforms in key chapters 23 and 24, which are the most important for progress on the path to EU membership in the area of rule of law.

• that the Prime Minister, through his actions, has repeatedly in the previous period jeopardized and hindered cooperation between the legislative and executive branches, directly causing an institutional and political crisis in the country. This situation led to a blockade of Parliament, and even a boycott by a part of the parliamentary majority MPs, which directly affected that a large number of laws and by-laws are not considered in the parliamentary procedure. All this has called into question the efficient work of Parliament, whose basic task is to serve the public interest and the interests of citizens, not the particular interests of any political group or individual.

• that the political crisis, inadequate cooperation between the legislative and executive branches, non-harmonization of legislation with EU legislation, as well as the inactivity of certain ministers, have led to a slowdown in European integration, which was reflected in the assessments in the European Commission's annual report on Montenegro's progress in European integration.

"The Civic Movement URA will not simulate processes, delay and torment the majority will of citizens who want stability, reforms and the path to the EU, and already today it has submitted to the parliamentary procedure an initiative based on which it will be seen whether the current Government has the support of the majority of MPs," was announced earlier today from URA.

This is primarily a test of whether the concept of a minority government, which they say they proposed to all MPs, has a majority in Parliament.

"What was expected is that after the vote on the interpellation of three ministers, the Prime Minister himself would initiate a procedure to raise the issue of confidence in the Government, but since that did not happen, we believe that this issue must be resolved,” the statement said. 

The interpellation of ministers, as they state, actually showed that this Government does not have the support of MPs in parliament, and not because of URA.

"Therefore, we cannot pretend that nothing is happening and that processes are not blocked. Montenegro and its political life can no longer endure the status quo,“ they say from URA.

 If it is determined that this government does not have support, they offered the concept of a minority government without DPS and DF to all MPs.

“And we hope that the vast majority of Parliament will approach this responsibly and support such a concept,” they concluded from that party.

The initiative followed after the coalition „Crno na bijelo“ requested the formation of a minority government that will not include the Democratic Party of Socialists and the Democratic Front.