Đeljaj: It's good that we agree, the Albanian flag is the legally recognized national symbol of Albanians in Montenegro

Member of the Presidency of the Albanian Forum Lindon Đeljaj welcomed the fact that member of the Presidency of the Democrats Tamara Vujović, in her reaction, "clearly confirmed" what he himself had announced - that the Albanian flag is legally recognized as the national symbol of Albanians in Montenegro.

He says that this was the essence of his reaction, and that he did not dispute the right of the police to apply the laws of Montenegro. He said that, on the contrary, as someone who holds a public office, he insists on the consistent application of the law to everyone, but that consistent application of the law also implies consistent respect for the rights of minority peoples.

"If we agree that the Albanian flag is a legally recognized national symbol of Albanians in Montenegro and that the law provides for an exception when the symbol of another state is used as the national symbol of a minority people, then my question is very simple: based on which specific legal provision does the national symbol change its legal status depending on the citizenship of the person displaying it? And another question, perhaps the most important for assessing the consistency of the application of the law: can the Police Administration inform the public how many people in Montenegro have been detained, prosecuted or punished for displaying the flags of other countries in the region, and how many for displaying the Albanian flag? Let us also remember Berane, the wedding when the wedding party was stopped for displaying the Albanian flag. That is why I am asking very specifically: when was the last time someone was detained or prosecuted for such a flag," Đeljaj wrote in response.

He said that rights and laws cannot depend on the political assessment of someone's intentions, nor on their nationality.

"As a political entity, we support the activities of the Director of the Police Directorate, just as we supported his election. However, we believe that much more work is needed to educate police officers on issues such as these, so that different interpretations and actions do not occur. The law must be known to those who apply it and must be consistently respected. The police deserve institutional support, but like any state body, it must act in accordance with the Constitution and laws. Albanians in Montenegro are only asking that the rights guaranteed to us by the Constitution and laws be applied equally and without double standards," said Đeljaj.