Censorship of the media, parliamentary questions from the opposition and messages from the Democratic Front marked yesterday's Prime Minister's Hour, which was presided over by Acting Speaker of the Parliament Milutin Simović.
Yesterday, for the first time, photojournalists and videographers were not allowed to enter the plenary hall of the Parliament, which was always allowed during the time when the parliament was chaired by Ranko Krivokapić, except during the break, after Prime Minister Milo Đukanović and DF MPs caused an incident in the parliament .
Simović did not give an explanation as to why photojournalists and videographers were banned from entering the hall. He, after the DF requested an interruption of the session until the media were allowed to enter, said that it was not the first time that videographers and photojournalists were forbidden to enter the hall.
"After May 13, we had the same regime of relations with the media. They are not deprived of any information, they have the possibility of monitoring the session. The media are not denied the opportunity to convey the atmosphere of the Assembly," said Simović. Journalists are not allowed to take photos and record the plenum even from the press box.
Yesterday, Simović did not allow SDP and DF MPs to ask questions to Đukanović. The head of the SDP parliamentary club, Džavid Šabović, wanted to ask Đukanović whether one of the highest officials of the DPS, Svetozar Marović, will be expelled from the ruling party for his participation in multimillion-dollar embezzlement, or perhaps he will be promoted. His question, as explained by Simović, was not in accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly and does not relate to the work of the Government.
Janko Vučinić from DF asked for an explanation regarding what Đukanović meant when, during a verbal conflict with DF MPs on May 13 in the Parliament, he told him "Vučinić, you will pay me separately! I will give it to you!" Simović explained that the questions are not in accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly. Sabović asked to read his question and for the prime minister to decide whether to answer, adding that there was no need for Simović to protect Đukanović. He later explained at the press conference that the question was asked because Marović was on the Board of Directors of the Budva Riviera on behalf of the Government.
URA official Dritan Abazović told Simović that there is no logic for him, as the deputy speaker of the parliament, to determine which issues are within the competence of the Government and which are not. Messages left by DF MPs in their seats before leaving the session were also censored.
The DF representatives left posters in their benches with the messages "It was not only Marović who stole", "Montenegro is the empire of corruption and organized crime" and the questions "Who beat Mijo Martinović", "Where did those millions come from Djukanović, prove that you are not a thief" , "Who is to blame for Limenka and who will pay 11 million Aces", "Prime Minister, where did you get a 100.000-euro watch, while the people have no bread to eat..." During the broadcast on RTCG, at no time were they in the frame DF's messages, even while MP Milutin Đukanović was speaking from his seat.
It is framed so that the messages surrounding it are not visible.
Jovović: While there is censorship, we will publish black spots
Censorship was introduced with this move by the leadership of the parliament, said the editor-in-chief of "Vijesti" Mihailo Jovović.
"If that had been the case on May 13, no one would have known for sure what happened after the "thief" and the "jerk", because the transmission was immediately interrupted. They certainly wouldn't know how well-behaved our prime minister and several deputies are," said Jovović. As long as this censorship is in force, he added, "Vijesti" will publish these black spots instead of archival photos from the plenum. "After this move by Simović , those stains best show what kind of world he and DPS want us to live in," said the editor-in-chief of "Vijesti".
Bojanic: This is like "Crazy, Confused, Normal"
The head of the Club of Independent Deputies, Mladen Bojanić, told "Vijesta" yesterday that Simović led the session in the style of Izet Fazlinović, the hero of the Bosnian series "Crazy, Confused, Normal".
"This convocation of the Assembly has been confusing for the public for a long time, so it is not a surprise that today's chairmanship of the session by Vice President Simović is in the style of Izet Fazlinović and his leadership of the sessions of the tenants of the entrance," Bojanić said.
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