Deputies of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), the Bosniak Party and the Croatian Citizens' Initiative launched today the procedure for the review of the constitutionality of the Law on the Financing of Political Parties.
The law, which was adopted on February 17, with the votes of the opposition and the Social Democratic Party, envisages stricter control over the spending of budget funds and prevention of their misuse for party purposes.
MP of DPS, Miodrag Vuković, specified that a proposal was submitted for the evaluation of the constitutionality of 17 of the 24 articles of the Law on Financing Political Parties.
"We ask the Constitutional Court to issue a decision establishing that the Law on Amendments to the Law on the Financing of Political Parties is not in accordance with the Constitution and to order the suspension of the execution of individual acts or actions that may be taken, if their execution could cause harmful consequences," said Vuković at the press conference.
Vuković believes that the legal system of Montenegro needs a completely new law on the financing of political parties, as an important part of the set of anti-corruption regulations.
According to him, the norms of that act are contrary to the Constitution and systemic laws.
"From today, I assume within 30 days, the Constitutional Court will take advantage of the opportunity to request the parliament's opinion on the objections, views on the unconstitutionality of the members, and after that period it should decide," explained Vuković.
That is why, as he explained, they asked to stop all actions and procedures that can be undertaken on the basis of that Law and that can cause damage.
"Most of the articles of the Law do not regulate the financing of political parties, which is the subject of the basic law, but a series of prohibitions and restrictions are prescribed that relate to the exercise of basic human rights and freedoms," Vuković assessed.
He believes that the legal system of Montenegro needs a completely new law on the financing of political parties, as an important part of the set of anti-corruption regulations.
"Except for the non-governmental organization MANS, the real author of the text, everyone expressed a negative attitude towards this act. It prevents the exercise of fundamental rights and freedoms and calls into question the legal security of citizens," said Vuković.
Such an act, he says, would suspend human rights and freedoms, call into question the normal functioning of the legal and economic system of the state.
Šćepanović: Citizens will suffer
DPS MP Marta Šćepanović said that the possible consequences of the disputed law are clear, because the provisions refer to citizens and social entities, not to political parties.
"It will happen that citizens will not be able to receive help due to emergency treatment. Citizens who have the right to severance pay, in accordance with the Labor Law, will not be able to exercise that right from the announcement of the elections and a month after, and that is during a significant part of the year," she pointed out. is Šćepanović.
Businessmen, she says, will not be able to realize approved loans during this period, "and numerous donations to public institutions are prohibited."
Vuković answered in the negative when asked whether DPS intends to request the convening of a session of the Collegium before the spring session, in connection with the adoption of the election law.
"I don't see the need for DPS to change its position, to schedule the Collegium and to meet. We are in favor of the law being adopted, but with sustainable and legally correct norms," said Vuković.
He told "those who are absent from the sessions" to stop the completely, as he assessed, senseless boycott.
"They should return to the institution. That way they will find us and in the dialogue they will hear what we have to say as a fundamental party", Vuković concluded.
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