Democrats: A hybrid war is being waged against the ruling majority, the Government and the security sector

The Democratic Party of Montenegro announced that hybrid work is taking place against the security sector, the Government of Montenegro and the parliamentary majority, and that it is now quite clear from which kitchen the most disgusting fabrications and lies against people working on security sector reform are coming. At a press conference in parliament today, Democratic Party MP Momčilo Leković commented on the correspondence published in the media between the former mayor of Podgorica, Ivan Vuković (DPS), and the accused head of the so-called Grand Clan, Aleksandar-Aco Mijajlović, reports the RTCG portal.

"When they don't know how to win, they use these horrifying lies, fabrications and dishonest things. Some write, others forward and still others read. And then a whole network of alleged analysts, quasi-experts, rubber-stamp lawyers and paid experts who supposedly care about the public good is set in motion. We call on the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services to urgently determine all the facts and circumstances of this case, in accordance with its jurisdiction, not only on the basis of evidence from the indictment of the Special Prosecutor's Office against Mijajlović, because citizens deserve a clear answer," said Leković.

Leković pointed out that what is additionally worrying is the very content of their mutual communication after 2020.

"It follows from the published messages that Miloš Nikolić, at the time the spokesperson for DPS, and Aleksandar Mijajlović are talking about the 'war' that has begun. About the need to create an organized network on social media, about hybrid war, but also about the use of "all means, both permitted and prohibited", more of these others.

It is particularly alarming that Miloš Nikolić responds to such a message by saying that the lack of these other resources is the reason why, as he says, they have come to this situation, referring of course to the loss of the election, he adds.

Leković pointed out that this is no longer about a political struggle in a democratic society, but rather about a consciously planned strategy of political, media and propaganda activities, which, by the actors' own admission, also includes illicit means.

"In these messages, they openly talk about forming an army on social media, about coordinated action through fake and covert accounts, about narrative control and organized content placement. And that is precisely why today, we understand much more clearly how campaigns of targeting, discrediting and drawing targets for people who opposed organized criminal groups emerged, and that campaign is particularly relevant these days as well as in previous months."

Vice President of the Democrats and Minister of Defense Dragan Krapović said that the correspondence that appeared in the media is proof of what the party has been indicating for a long time - that hybrid work is on the scene against the security sector, the Government of Montenegro, and the parliamentary majority.

"Of course, I think that in these correspondences we have received confirmation of what we have been saying. I leave it to the competent authorities to establish all the facts, but I would like to draw attention to the part of the correspondence between Ivan Vuković and the twice-indicted head of the criminal group Aleksandar Mijajlović that was published today. In one of the exchanges, DPS vice-president Ivan Vuković, then mayor of Podgorica, says, exchanging messages with Mijajlović, that is, Mijajlović to him, that if he can find a place for a certain Andjušić, on the recommendation of Zoran Lazović. I know of two certain Andjušićs. One of them is Boris Andjušić, a former police inspector very close to Zoran Lazović, and the whole team. He recently testified at the trial and tried to defend the accusations against Lazović through his testimony. This certain Andjušić Boris actually found employment in the period after that, and believe it or not, he found him in the Ministry of Defense, in the Intelligence and Security Apparatus. I found that Andjušić on the spot "I was the head of counterintelligence protection in the Intelligence and Security Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, and upon my arrival in the system, he was dislocated from that directorate and after court proceedings were initiated against him, on charges of torturing members of an opposing criminal group, I suspended him from the work of the Ministry of Defense. There is a possibility that there is another Andjušić, and he is the brother of Boris Andjušić, and he got a job in the Protection and Rescue Service of the Capital City during the time when Vuković was mayor," said Krapović.

As he added, whichever direction we go, whichever Andjušić we are talking about, we will encounter clear abuses and modus operandi of how the network of the security directorate of the Ministry of Defense, the police, the ANB, down to the local level, was built.

"Overall, I think we should get answers to all the questions I raised. I think it is clear how things went during the former regime and we will continue to work to expose this hybrid war against the system and those responsible will be found and held accountable," said Krapović.

When asked about the DNP declaration demanding the annulment of Montenegro's recognition of Kosovo, Leković said that foreign and domestic policy are under the government's jurisdiction.

"I wouldn't comment on that either, we will learn about all of that in the coming period, but the decision on foreign and domestic policy is in the hands of the Government," said Leković.

He also stated that he had not followed up in detail media reports that a concert by Baja Mali Knindža was allegedly planned in Pljevlja on Independence Day.

"But I wouldn't be surprised if additional narratives and spins appear in the coming period precisely against the backdrop of dirty campaigns that have been waged for 30 years. It was in Pljevlja that members of criminal groups drew graffiti to incite hatred among citizens. The then ANB agents did the same things in Rožaje with members of criminal groups under the auspices of the three-decade regime's policies. I look at it in the way that there is a central celebration at the state level, that is what needs to be followed, I would not comment on anything else," said Leković.

Krapović said that NATO Secretary General Marko Rutte's visit to Podgorica tomorrow shows that Montenegro is a reliable ally and a credible member of the alliance.