Mugoša: Developments surrounding the concession awarding process for Montenegrin airports are another indicator of the Government's lack of seriousness

Everything that is happening around the concession awarding process for Montenegrin airports (the withdrawal of one candidate, the announcement of the resignations of members of the Tender Commission, the announcement of the withdrawal of the consultant, i.e. the World Bank, from the process, including the proposal and then withdrawal of the Government's legal intention to deprive municipalities of a percentage of revenue from the concession fee) is yet another in a series of indicators of the Government's frivolity and irresponsibility and the parliamentary majority tailored to "bare" armchair interests, assessed Boris Mugoša, the president of the Social Democrats (SD) parliamentary group in the Parliament of Montenegro and a representative of the European Union.

He said that Montenegro desperately needs a recomposition on the political scene in the final and most complex phase of the EU integration process.

"Let's take it one by one: the Prime Minister calls on the 'Tender Commission to carefully consider the expert opinions of the World Bank - IFC, in order to bring this important procedure to an end, in the best interest of the citizens and Montenegro'. The said commission was not formed by the Prime Minister and he has no jurisdiction over that commission, it was formed by the relevant Ministry of Transport and the Tender Commission submits a report on its work to the said ministry and not to the Government and the Prime Minister," Mugoša said in a statement sent to the media.

He points out that this kind of address by the Prime Minister is a kind of pressure on the autonomy and independence in decision-making of the commission members.

"If there is doubt about the actions of some members, then we know what the procedure is - if the media information is correct that the Government postponed the Tender Commission session, or that it instructed the Deputy Prime Minister and President of the Tender Commission, Niko Đeljošaj, not to hold the Tender Commission session, which was scheduled for today, starting at 10 am, before informing the members of the Government about the aforementioned letter and the activities carried out by the Tender Commission, this also represents interference by the Government in something that is not its jurisdiction, because this commission was not formed by the Government, but by the Ministry of Transport," explains the SD MP.

That is why he believes that Montenegro needs the aforementioned recomposition on the political scene.

"Everything else will lead to new and new legal and political improvisations, party blackmail and trade-offs that will mean missing the incredible opportunity we have and the obligation we owe to at least 80% of the citizens of Montenegro, which is for our country to be the first next member of the EU," Mugoša concluded.