Amendments to the Real Estate Tax Law voted again

With 46 MPs voting "for" and two abstaining, the Parliament, at today's session in Cetinje, re-voted the Law on Amendments to the Law on Real Estate Tax, which President Jakov Milatović had previously returned for reconsideration and which led to a conflict between him and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development Niko Đeljošaj.

After the President of Montenegro returned the amendments to the Parliament for reconsideration, his verbal conflict with Đeljošaj followed. The government official told him in a phone message that he expected “a reaction from Albanians at all levels” and wherever they have influence, and that he would receive the response he deserved. He then stated in a statement to the media that the Albanian Forum, a coalition in which the Albanian Alternative is, of which Đeljošaj is the president, would continue to protect the interests of the citizens of Tuzi and the entire Albanian community, and that it would not allow the “blockade of development” of that municipality, nor the discipline of Albanians.

Đeljošaj rejected the accusations that he had made threats and then said that Milatović had returned the disputed law because of, as he claimed, nepotistic ties with Nebojša Vuksanović, the former president of the Board of Directors of "Plantaž", "in order to obtain personal benefit for himself and him."

Milatović announced that he returned the law due to, as he claims, a violation of the Constitution, legal uncertainty and the possibility that 22.000 farmers would lose tax breaks.

Messages on a similar topic also came from officials of Đeljošaj's party, and the prosecution filed a case after Milatović reported that the Deputy Prime Minister had threatened him.

However, the criminal charges were dropped at the end of last month.

"The applicant was informed that he has the right to file a complaint against the decision made to the Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica, or to initiate prosecution against the applicant N. Đ. by submitting an indictment to the Basic Court in Podgorica," the prosecutor's office told "Vijesti" on that occasion.

Last week, Milatović called on MPs not to vote for the document, saying that supporting the law would be a vote for discrimination against farmers.